The Troyeville Hotel heaved with party people on Wednesday night as hundreds of delirious Jo’burgers turned up to celebrate Barack Obama’s White House win.
The menu featured spiced shrimps with grits — apparently one of the US president elect’s favourite dishes – and the dance floor rocked to a cross section of the 56 hours worth of Obama music that exists, from the Obama Mamas to a hit that needs no introduction, I Want Barack.
Everyone there wanted Barack. Yet while the fever-pitch excitement of the American majority is understandable, what makes it so infectious in South Africa? Obama may be the best thing that’s happened to global morale since Nelson Mandela, but he is someone else’s president, in another country, however much clout that country has. Expectations that he will cure racism, end poverty, reverse climate change and bring about world peace quicker than a beauty queen, appear to be global, yet they seem impossibly high, not least from an African perspective.
“The paradox of the US is that it’s an amazing country which has been run by a complete fuckwit,” said François Venter, an HIV doctor. “Obama’s election is rehabilitative and inspiring, and it is what we all need.”
In as many words, not all of them quite so colourful, most guests echoed these sentiments. Obama’s “idealism” in a world that seems to have lost the high ground; his “vision” and its implicit promise of profound change; and, yes, his race.
“He’s not George Bush and he’s black,” said Jeremy Daphne, a former trade unionist, who reserved further enthusiasm: “Unlike the centrists here to celebrate Obama uncritically, I’m under no illusions about what he can achieve.”
The Obama campaign’s pioneering command of new media technologies was also advanced as a reason why the US race felt as if it belonged to the world: the immediacy and strange intimacy of the internet meant everyone had access to the minutiae.
Many of the partygoers at the hotel where grit meets the lit-set were full of admiration for Americans in general – an appreciation which turned to outright hostility in the post-9/11 years of Bush-managed warrior culture.
“I’m going home to burn all my anti-American stickers,” said society hairdresser Neil Starr.
Words like “epic”, “redemptive” and even “biblical” peppered conversations as the night fizzed up, fresh revellers arrived and ace DJ Charles Leonard kept the Obama-rama music going with more than 1 000 downloads to choose from.
“Africa Loves Obama” T-shirts printed for the occasion were selling like hot Obama T-shirts. “Maybe it should say ‘Africa loves Obama — for now’,” said one guest who, understandably, wished to remain anonymous.
Last word goes to Jack Rathbone. It was his 11th birthday and he had tied two party balloons to his ears.
“All McCain did was dig up dirt on Obama, but Obama didn’t do that. Being president of the US is a bit like ruling the world, that’s why it means a lot to all of us. And he can stop racism and make sure blacks are treated as equals.”
The ear balloons bobbed as Jack made his key point: “I think people will be more respectful in the way they treat each other from now on.”