I have a Dream

Obama has realised King's dream: Rudd
November 5, 2008, 5:29 pm
US president-elect Barack Obama has realised Martin Luther King's dream of 45
years ago, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says.
"Forty-five years ago Martin Luther King had a dream of an America where men
and women would be judged not on the colour of their skin but on the content of
their character.
"Today, what America has done is turn that dream into a reality," Mr Rudd told
reports in Launceston.
Mr Rudd said the US election result was a great testament to the strength and
maturity of the American democratic process.
Senator Obama carries a message of hope not only for America but for the rest
of the world, he said.
"A world which is in many respects fearful for its future," Mr Rudd said.
"The world looks to America for global leadership on the great global
challenges of the 21st century."
Mr Rudd listed these challenges as the global financial crisis, climate change,
and the challenges and opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region this century.
He said he intended to make a telephone call congratulating Senator Obama "as
soon as possible".
Meanwhile, federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull has warmly congratulated
Obama.
Senator Obama won the US presidential election, making him the first black
commander-in-chief of the world's only remaining superpower.
"On behalf of the federal opposition in Australia, I congratulate Senator
Barack Obama on his historic election victory and look forward to working
closely and productively with the new administration," Mr Turnbull said in a
statement.
While Mr Turnbull comes from the other side of politics, he declared the
Democrat senator's victory a defining moment in history.
"The idea that an African-American could be president would have been
unthinkable only a few decades ago," he said.
"As president, Barack Obama will have the opportunity to show the world the
strength, resilience and above all the diversity of American democracy," Mr
Turnbull said.
"We remember Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream' speech, when he dreamt of a
time when his children would be judged not by the colour of their skin, but by
the contents of character," he told reporters in Sydney.
"I wonder if Dr King ever dreamt that there would be an African-American
president of the United States."