Team Obama’s Chief and His Troops: The Debriefing

Watch how he strides into the room, and listen to the thunderous applause that greets him as he makes his way to the microphone, touching at random team members along the way. This is the respite, the long-awaited opportunity to exhale, the time to laugh over the blunders, to congratulate and revitalize the team, pointing out that their success is integral to his own.

Watch how they sit in rapt attention, hanging on to his every word, this youthful team, most of whom are “not even of drinking age”, according to their chief.

Barack Obama still manages to beam inspiration without the bright lights, the podium and the media hounds. His words convey the spirit of this momentous hour of decision for America. He reminds the team of their mission, its success, the challenges to come; and takes a clean swipe at rival John McCain too.

He tells his team “the whole country is counting on [them] to change it for the better”, and that the success of Team Obama has confirmed his belief that only when people “submerge their own egos and focus on bringing their gifts, passion, energy and vision to a common task”, can they do extraordinary things. This from an African American, less than fifty years from the days when restrooms and restaurants were color-coded.

We live in an exciting period of world history.