Why all the OBAMAMANIA?

The past couple of months have been witness to a series of dramatic events like the earthquake in Pakistan,a global economic crisis and the melting of various well established and powerful investment banks.However nothing was more dramatic than the election of Barack Obama to the office of President of the United States.

I have often pondered a lot on history and the lessons that it has to offer.I have poured over countless history textbooks and it wouldn't be hard to guess that history was my favorite subject in school and is still one of my favorite topics of discussion.
I read about Asoka the Great.The 18th century witnessed the awe-inspiring French Revolution and the American war of independence.The Indian freedom struggle was drilled into our heads throughout school.I read about Mahatma Gandhi.I read about Abraham Lincoln and the amazing humility with which he conducted himself in spite of being elected to the highest office in his country as well as his tremendous contribution in abolishing slavery and uplifting the blacks.I also read about the world wars and about the destructive "Littleboy" and "Fatman".I was amazed by these stories and people who found their way into my history text books.

Every story in history has inspired me a little.But I have often wondered what it would have been to actually be there when these great events unfolded;when these great men walked the Earth?What must the followers of Gandhi have felt when he was right in front of them,urging them to be united in the struggle for independence?What must it have been for a little boy who had to go into underground bunkers every time he heard the dreaded sirens declaring the imminent arrival of German Bombers?What must have been the atmosphere in the NASA control room when Neil Armstrong must have finally announced,"Houston,I've just landed.Buzz is just behind me."I can only imagine.

Yet,only yesterday, I witnessed something historic.Something unprecedented.I finally felt that I was privileged to be witness to an event which will undoubtedly find place in the history textbooks of the coming generations,not just in America but all over the world.

Barack Obama became the first African American President of the United States,a country which like many others encountered clashes between people of different races.Racism is still prevalent in subtle forms but today it is anathema to many.Which is why a whole country, whose population groups are primarily Caucasian or in simpler terms European or even more crude,whites,set aside their racist attitude and elected a Black.Obama has made history just by being elected.He still hasn't officially taken charge of the country.

What is it about this senator from Illinois that has endeared him to not just the Americans who voted for him but also to the general public all over the world?Apart from the fact,that people are frustrated with the previous President,which I believe is quite unfair to President Bush,why have they voted for him and developed affection toward him?I've been following the campaign trail on CNN and finally after the new President was elected people in many parts of the world were actually celebrating.Agreed that if a leader wins an election,his followers are quite jubilant.But to witness a celebration of the kind yesterday and that too of such an enormous global magnitude was astounding.Obama's relatives in his native country Kenya were understandably overjoyed.Not just his distant relatives but the whole country of Kenya is proud of their son Barack.In fact, the President of Kenya has even declared the day after the election to be a national holiday.(That makes Obama even more popular,you know.Holiday for school kids!)But why does it matter to a man in Australia or China or India for that matter whether Obama or Bush is the President?Who outside America would care which "Bill" or which "John" is the President?Yes,America does play an extremely influential role in world politics and that American foreign policy has ramifications in distant corners of the globe.But the general opinion of many outside America is that the Yanks are a bullying lot and that they've been bullying ever since they became the most powerful country under Woodrow Wilson.So does which man who sits in the Oval Office really matter to someone outside America?

To put it simply it doesn't.However, Barack Obama has captured everyone's attention.People wouldn't know the details of his work in America or which Bills he voted for and against in the Senate or what his particular area of expertise is.But the man truly appears to be a great leader.Just by his countenance.His oratory skills are absolutely brilliant.And he keeps getting better and better.Right from his acceptance speech during the democratic national convention to his address to the public as President.I've listened to almost every speech and I must say that he had my full attention each time he spoke.Unlike President Bush he doesn't even need to glance down to his notes every now and then while he speaks.In fact when he addressed the public, accepting his new post,there were times when there were thunderous cheers when he made a statement;but the moment he resumed his speech, there was pin drop silence!I've never seen a man capture a crowd's attention like that.And the world's attention for that matter.And you feel he speaks from the heart.You feel that he's genuinely concerned about people's problems.

Barack,as I'd like to call him is a Black.Born in Hawaii to a Kenyan father and a white American mother from Kansas.He's lived not only in the US but also in other parts of the world like Indonesia.He has a law degree from Harvard Law School.It would also be interesting to note that he's previously made history by becoming the first Black President of the Harvard Law Review, a remarkable achievement in itself.

You look at Obama and then you look at McCain and it doesn't take you long to decipher who looks more Presidential.