By Glen Meakem
Published in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
November 9, 2008

Although President -elect Barack Obama is our most left-leaning leader in a generation, he has succeeded on the foundation of a rather traditional set of character traits and values. Now, he has the opportunity to create real positive change in our culture by redefining “cool” for young American men.

I disagree with Obama and the Democratic Party on many issues. Higher tax rates, increased restrictions on international trade and the elimination of the right of American workers to a private ballot in union-organizing elections are changes that will be very negative for America and the world.

But I believe there is a fundamental change that Obama could bring that would really help America. Through his words and continued deeds, he could make the character traits and values he embodies — being smart, educated, hardworking, articulate and loyal — “cool” among America’s men and boys.

Obama is enormously charismatic, extremely intelligent and one of the best political orators in American history. He is cool under fire. In fact, he is just plain “cool.”

With his liberal ideas and tech-savvy persona, Obama has clearly connected with tens of millions of idealistic young Americans of all races and backgrounds. While Ronald Reagan was “the Great Communicator,” Obama has youth and style that America has not seen in the White House since John F. Kennedy.

The exquisite irony of the very cool, left-leaning Barack Obama’s life and skill set is that so many of the characteristics that have led to his success are decidedly uncool to young men and boys in the schools, streets and neighborhoods of America.

We live in a technological age that is demanding more-skilled, better-educated, more highly trained workers every year. Yet, positive characteristics — characteristics that lead to achievement and success in a technological age — like being smart, hardworking, educated, consistent, loyal and well-spoken are not “cool” characteristics among young American males of any color.

This unfortunate fact is true in both cities and suburbs and across socioeconomic groups. According to numerous studies, today in America boys and young men are underperforming girls and young women across many measures of educational achievement.

Young American women now make up more than 54 percent of the total college population. Looked at another way, in 2005, 43 percent of college-age American women were enrolled in college versus only 35 percent of young men. This male underachievement is the worst in lower-income groups.

While this is true across all racial and ethnic groups, young black men and boys have significantly lower educational achievement than their female counterparts, with twice as many college-age black women enrolled in college than black men.

According to numerous studies, anti-intellectual cultural influences and poor behavior in school are significant negative factors in poor male performance across all races.

Obama has a unique opportunity to turn this negative culture around. Yes, he has proven that anyone in America can now aspire to anything, but beyond natural gifts, success requires the traditional character traits and values of hard work, education, loyalty and communication.

Despite his liberal views, Barack Obama’s life is a testimony to this conservative truth. Obama did not win the presidency because anyone gave it to him. He won because he earned it by out-preparing, outworking and outsmarting the best politicians in America.

Early Wednesday morning, President-elect Obama opened his victory speech by saying:

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our Founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

This statement made thousands, perhaps millions of Americans, cry in an outpouring of relief, pride and happiness. Tens of millions of us felt the power of this reality and of these words.

Through the power of his words and his example, our new president should teach America’s young men and boys the truth: If they want to achieve in a world where all things are possible, if they want to rise up and be men on whom our society can depend, they must follow his example of hard work, study, loyalty and self-reliance.

If Barack Obama can lead this major cultural change in the years ahead — if he can redefine masculine “cool,” which America so desperately needs — then he will go down in our history as a great president. Anything less will be a missed opportunity.