Heard at Grant Park

Change.  It was the one-word theme of the Obama campaign. Lawns, buildings, bumper stickers displayed that word to show support for a presidential candidate and his tag line. There was no need to ponder annoying questions such as: what, how, why, where, when.  The who was always known and that was all you needed to know.

Change was the campaign theme and the throngs celebrating at Grant Park in Chicago on Tuesday night left no doubt that it worked.  Change won.  So, what exactly did Mr. Obama say about change that evening?  After all, it was the winning card, his fifth ace. He used the word precisely four times.  

Early during the extravaganza he said that "in this election change has come to America". Change already happened.  

Second, there was an "America can change" throwaway.

 

Then, referencing 106 year-old Ann Nixon Cooper, Obama offered the keen insight that Ms Cooper "knows how America can change".  Things have changed in 106 years. Really?  

Lastly, Obama wondered that if our children were to live as long as Ms. Cooper,  "what change will they see?" If you want to see change, it is best to invest in a time machine or a Hubble Space Telescope.

At Grant Park, the President-elect distanced himself from his twenty-one month campaign bluster, choosing it best to manage the expectations of the Obamistas.  To make sure his adoring fans don't expect too much from him, he equivocated:  "We may not get there in one year or even one term".  Not only is he not saying where he intends to go, he says that, wherever it is, we may not get there anytime soon.  Being wary of Obama's undeclared intended destination, that may not be so bad after all.  

"There will be setbacks and false starts", he confessed.  Interesting, that admittance for failure was not part of the "Yes we can" mantra and "fired up, ready to go" pep rallies.  However, to my relief, he did say "I will always be honest with you".