You know the old saying about dogs that chase cars: What are they going to do with the car if they ever catch it?
Last week Barack Obama caught a car. Hell, he caught every car in the country at the same time.
By extension, all of us who supported Obama in his presidential bid caught a piece of the car, too. So what do we do now?
Well, first we celebrate. We cry, we hug, we slap our foreheads in disbelief. We slap our friends in disbelief, then hug them and cry some more.
It was, as Danny Cross and Maija Zummo point out in our cover story package, the Best Week Ever! If there were ever a time to overuse exclamation points, it was this past week!!
The sun shone a little brighter, the air smelled sweeter, our parking tickets didn’t matter and the world’s problems seemed to solve themselves overnight! It was 75 degrees in Cincinnati the day after Obama won!! In November!!!
The first African American president? Check! Germans and other Europeans back on the Pro-America Express? According to Joe Wessels’ firsthand report, check! Springsteen music playing at rallies? Check! Cute little girls and a new puppy in the White House? Check!
Just when last week couldn’t have gotten any better, CityBeat received a letter from Obama himself thanking us for helping him win Hamilton County, Ohio and the country. And he specifically mentioned how much he enjoyed my interview with him back in February. How cool is that?
Now, I haven’t actually seen the letter, but Danny and Maija assure me it was written on “President-Elect” stationary and looked all official and stuff. Obama even sent a photo, which he’s allowing us to print.
On a personal note, I’ve had an exceptional Fall. My beloved Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series, just their second championship in 126 years. I finished first in my college friends’ fantasy baseball league. My daughter got a part in A Christmas Carol at the Playhouse. I should have bought a lottery ticket along the way.
To cap it off, Obama — whom CityBeat endorsed while The Enquirer backed John McCain — won the presidency against the odds, particularly the jinx that all CityBeat-endorsed candidates have to endure.
Obama is walking into a minefield of problems, from loss of jobs to the continuing continuing financial meltdown to war in the Middle East. He has a huge job ahead of him.
Back on Feb. 20, previewing the Ohio presidential primary, I wrote this endorsement: “Obama offers all the benefits of a fresh start and carries the hopes and dreams of millions of citizens who’ve said ‘What’s the use?’ The day President Obama is inaugurated is the day the world changes — and it’s time. It’s simply time.”
That time began this week, the Best Week Ever! Here are some more exclamation points!! Spread them around!!!
Barack Obama caught a car last week, and all of us helped. Now let’s get together and start driving!
CONTACT JOHN FOX: [email protected]
