For once, I'm hoping I am contagious. (This post may be jumbled, but it's heartfelt. Sorry about the rambling.)
To start - I read
Audacity of Hope and it really impressed me. He is an amazing writer. His arguments are logical, concise, and persuasive. There are certainly points that we do not agree on, but even on those points, his stances do not piss me off, which is rare. I recommend it, just for a good read and an interesting perspective.
In general, his attitude inspires me. The way he inspires
other people inspires me. I can't imagine what it would be like to be in his staff, his cabinet. Inspiration of this magnitude can move moutains. He's an orator in a style I think we haven't seen in decades. I know full well that when we elect a President we are really electing an Administration. I believe that he is the kind of inspiring leader that a good Administration requires.
I love his unique perspective. He's lived here and in other countries. He was raised mostly by his mother and grandparents and now does right by his kids to break the cycle. Much of the book is his ruminations on his worries about spending enough time with his family, providing enough support for his wife. He worked his way through college. He's dealt with discrimination and setbacks. He freely admits to large mistakes he's made (such as running a disastrous campaign against an incumbent dem in Illinois). Even in describing the things he's done, he does not come across as boastful - instead, he interjects how he's been lucky and blessed.
After I got about half way through the book I realized what seemed so refreshing. There was a whole section regarding why the public doesn't trust politicians, and why politicians become so unworthy of trust. He breaks down all the reasons why they do what they do, all the pressures, all the quirks of the type of person that gets involved. He tells stories of how he found himself in these bizarre situations and how they made him feel. It was very meta, very observant, and seemed very honest. Again, worth a read.
He's
anti-lobbyist. IMHO, "lobbyist" is one of the dirtiest words in our political language. He has not taken a dime from them (and still manages to have plenty of funds, imagine that). He spearheaded reform in both Springfield and Washington. There's a lot in his plan regarding transparency, and a lot in his book regarding his distaste for the bullsh!t that goes on. He wants to reinstate PAYGO, which he has always supported.
Yes, it is important to me that Obama did not support starting the war. It is also important that he recognize that he doesn't know what he would have done, had he been in the Senate at that time. The book was printed in early 2006, and in it he said that he would support a timetable to get us out of Iraq....by end of 2006.
As has been said countless times - Barack and Hillary are similar in many issue respects. This is why, for me, character counts. People came out of the woodwork to vote for him. He is a uniter. His record is clear, and he comes with no baggage. We have such a huge oppportunity to wipe the slate clean, to start fresh!
If we miss this chance, I will be heartbroken, as LSPE put it. The idea that we can put off this wonderful option for 8 years, and risk losing it entirely, is ridiculous to me, but as the electorate has let me down in the past, I'm ready for that possibility. Thing is,
he's winning. He has more delegates than Hillary, and got the majority in twice as many states as she has.
I'm sure I've got more to say. Check out
Barack's plan while I marshall more thoughts.