Obama’s win should prod us all to step up our game

By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 11/12/2008

 I’m one man who was not surprised by Barack Obama’s historic victory over Sen. John McCain becoming the 44th president of the United States. I shed tears just like millions of others who understand our painful history, but I never have stopped dreaming of better days.

 Obama ran a masterful campaign and stood up to the Clintons, won the close Democratic Party’s nomination, and beat down McCain. McCain, the great war hero and senator from the red state of Arizona, referred to Obama during one of the televised debates as “that one” without even looking in Obama’s direction.

 McCain lost the White House to a stronger candidate who laid out his plan for America and convinced nearly 63 million voters it’s time to change America.

 Obama went out in machine-like fashion and organized and raised hundreds of millions of dollars using the Internet, text messaging, and organizing new voter registrations across the country. He stayed the course and literally started a nonviolent revolution.

 Change will forever be associated with President-elect Barack Obama. He’s the first president ever elected as an anti-war candidate and the first ever to win while the country was at war.

Only in America can a man who would have been a slave to 16 previous presidents in the United States win by more than seven million votes and an Electoral College landslide.

 Early in the campaign, Obama said, “I remember when I was in Harvard Law School and I was invited to attend a banquet and was wearing a suit and tie, and as I was passing one of the tables to get to my seat, somebody turned and said, “Excuse me, can I get some hot tea?’ And so, even wearing a fancy suit those assumptions and stereotypes still exist.”

 Last Monday night, the day before the most important election in our lifetime, when asked by Chris Berman of ESPN what he would change about sports, Obama said, “College football should have a playoff format; get the top eight teams and let them play to decide the national champion.”

 Vikings offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie said of Obama’s victory,” This is something I never expected growing up, period. I voted for Obama, and being from the state of Florida, I’m glad he won Florida. This is so historic. Now I think kids of other races can definitely feel they can accomplish anything. At one point you did not feel a Black man could be president, but it’s been done now.” 

 It’s ironic that a Black man in 1947, Jackie Robinson, broke the race barrier in sports as the first Black player to play major league baseball. Robinson changed the landscape of sports in America. He was allowed to play so his greatness could be exposed for economic reasons, and because of his success and talent, others like him have followed and over time helped generate hundreds of billions of dollars in the sports industry in baseball, basketball and football.

 Larry Fitzgerald, Jr. of the Arizona Cardinals, when interviewed on Pardon the Interruption on ESPN, said, “It was great to see so many new voters get involved. It’s exciting the attention it’s generated. It’s helped our country, and it’s good for America. It’s the biggest election in my short lifetime.”

You know as well as I that our country today is in the worst shape it’s been in since the Great Depression, which ironically occurred just before Robinson broke the color barrier. President Obama will inherit a country in financial disarray; the world markets are in a freefall.

 We have a 10 trillion-dollar deficit, hundreds of thousands have lost their jobs, 10 million are unemployed and many others have lost their homes and savings. Our country is fighting two wars.

President-elect Obama has a major challenge when he takes office January 21, 2009. Success is based on a solid foundation from the ground up, not from the top down. The foundation must be strong — Obama’s victory proves that.

 Nearly 80 percent of young people18 to 35 years old across America voted for Obama. The most recognized athlete in the world, Tiger Woods, soon to be the first billion-dollar athlete, when interviewed by CNBC on Obama’s historic victory, said,” It’s incredible. He’s multiracial. My dad, if he were alive today, would have cried.”

 McKinnie said, “We have more responsibility on us now. I don’t want African Americans to feel like, okay, everything is going to change overnight, or [that] they are owed something because our president is African American. I think everybody needs to step their game up a little bit more.”

 Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:25 am, and on WDGY-AM 740 Monday & Saturday mornings at 7:50 am and Fridays at 3:50 pm; he also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). Larry welcomes reader responses to lfitzgerald@spokesman-re corder.com, or visit www.Lar ry-Fitzgerald.com.