If there was one day I wished I was American and a part of that soil, it would have been November 4th. The day Barack Obama won. Obama is hope symbolised. Has the gab, the discipline, the controlled emotion and the direction. Most of all he is a hope bringer to everyone. That’s why a lot of people cried at the convention (I didn’t in case you are wondering,  I tend to disappoint like that.), even Oprah!

I used to think this he is an overconfident, rail thin, basketball trouting punk that had a good run. The reason I wanted Hillary Clinton to win was the exact reason people say that he hadn’t chosen her to be running mate: Bill Clinton. I can’t understand why. But he proved me wrong. He showed that he can run a campaign like a President. And if this is the sort of stuff he can continue, he might be even better than Clinton.

Here is the speech he gave which you must watch and allocate 45 mins of your day (if possible every day..) to see what this man is truly about. I have watched it twice and have favourited it, dugg it, stumbled it,  sphunn it and you get the point…

Things you can learn from the speech.

Hold composure.
It’s not a plastered smile he wears, he has an assured walk to the podium and doesn’t get over excited like that bimbo VP-elect from the Republicans. He walks graciously as a man who is rightfully taking his place. Lesson: Be calm in victory and defeat.

Acknowledge the crowd.
When you are celebrating your moment of victory and over 150k+ people have been waiting for over 4 hours to see you, there’s no harm in spending time cheering with them. I think the daughters thought they were the center of the attention but that’s ok. They are both less than 15.

Acknowledge your enemy, even if you thrashed his old ass silly.

I congratulate him (McCain); I congratulate Gov. Palin for all that they’ve achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.

Be Funny yo
No matter where the place, humour strikes a great chord with the audience. You don’t have to be a goofball laughing at your own hockey mom jokes and cheers (please refer to the bimbo from the Republican party again), but you should have that class. Another person who does that really well is Bill Clinton.

Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the new White House.

Never forget the family. This is da hood.
Put family first, win christian votes. Or something like that as the saying goes. Here is a wonderful man who loves his family. That means he cares.  That means he can be president.

And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation’s next first lady Michelle Obama.To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you’ve given me. I am grateful to them.

Stick to a theme
I’m not getting Seth Godin here, but there’s a very important thing that must be known. His story was that of change. An underlying racism current he wanted to change, an underlying goverment filled with corruption led by an incompetent idiot that he wanted to change, an economy he wanted to change. Theme is consistent, he wants to bring hope, he wants to bring a change.

Weave a story.
This was bit of an overkill but he made his point and was consistent with this theme AND struck a powerful thought. He is Jesus.

But one that’s on my mind tonight’s about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons — because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America — the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

Don’t think the task is over and remind people the need for their support.
Wow verbose title.. Make sure you let people know that there is work to be done and this is the start. This is not a spin off yarn to cover your ass, it’s something that you should always add as a disclaimer. Because team players are more important than the solo rapper.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can’t solve every problem.But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it’s been done in America for 221 years — block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

And when you do all of that, the world stands up and cheers for you. I know I did and I’m one of the staunchest Indians around.

Some other great links

– Newspapers around the world paste front page stories of Obama.
– Full transcript of the speech
– Campaign Insider stories