What a Night!

Back in Germany elections were a pretty solemn event. A Sunday, usually with bad weather, voters would go to the booths and sometimes not even tell their children who they voted for. You're supposed to vote in secret after all. Then, a couple of minutes after 6 pm, when the polls closed, the result was projected and usually didn't change much. And in any case, people would root for one of the parties, but no matter the outcome, not much would change.

The Presidential election this year in the U.S. was much different. Everybody was greatly engaged and I can only imagine how collectively depressed New York City would have been if McCain had won (we had a little taste of that in 2004).

For me, one aspect was probably the most important: Obama's demonstrated that the spirit that made us move to America almost eight years ago was not lost, as it often seemed during the Bush years. That, with all its flaws, democracy here still can forcefully kick out an administration with a twenty-something approval rating and not just let it fade away. That, not only multi-millionaire white men can become president. And, finally, that racism can be overcome (although, personally, I'd have preferred seeing the first female president).

Nobody knows for sure what will happen next, but I'm very optimistic that this Tuesday was a big step in turning the next decade in to a good one again. After all this gloom and doom we really could use it.