nostalgia for 2008

the commencement ceremony at roland park elementary school yesterday was a flashback to the halcyon days of 2008, when obama was still the redemptive force that would save us all. the student speech went completely gaga: you can be anything! you can make a difference! then it appealed to 'the great figures of history: king, gandhi, and president obama.' then the assembly went into a chant of 'yes, we can!' i leaned over to my gf/ex-wife/greatest enemy/best friend and said: 'palin will make a difference.' indeed, no one better illustrates the idea that anyone can be president; no one has had a more meteoric, unlikely rise; no one has greater self-esteem; no one would, as president, represent as big a change; no one has as much courage to be herself. if that isn't what y'all mean, then what do you mean, exactly? wait. content underneath the form? deserved self-esteem? change of a certain kind? courage to be an admirable or worthy self (according to some standard)? why didn't y'all say so?