It’s early 2009, say February or March, and President Barack Obama has just set out on his first foreign engagement, one of the earliest trips abroad by a newly elected president. His first stop is Johannesburg, South Africa, where he shares the stage with anti-apartheid heroes Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, speaking in front of fifty thousand jubilant South Africans. Next, President Obama flies northwards to Kisumu, Kenya, in the home province of his late father, where the local airport has just been renovated for the explicit purpose of accommodating Air Force One (click here for the plans). He receives a roaring Kenyan welcome.
I know there are still two weeks to go, and videos like this one remind me to take nothing for granted, but can’t I dream a little?
When it comes to politics, I follow the party line – the Century family party line, that is.
My grandparents Jack and Marcia Century (third and fifth from the left) doing their part in conservative stronghold Calgary, Alberta.
Cardboard cut-out Obama, fresh from an engagement at the local mall, with my brother Adam Century (the bright red tomato in the middle) and his fellow Williams College freshmen.
"Four Princesses and a President-to-be": The newest party member, six-year-old Lena Century, with an Obama pin to make all Century’s proud.
3 comments:
Great blog post, Lou!
I should note that -- and this is an indication Democratic Party unity -- Lena was a staunch Hillary supporter through the primaries.
However, now she understands the value and historical nature of Barack's candidacy and also we don't need a V.P. who thinks she runs the Senate or can see Russia from her house.
My dad made a good point. The problem with this post is if Obama were to share a stage with Mandela, the crowd would be half a million, not 50,000.
Well, he drew over 100,000 in St. Louis the other day for a pretty routine campaign rally.
I think an Obama-Mandela joint speech anywhere in Africa would draw more people than any venue or public square could hold.
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