I had no epiphany where Obama was concerned, no moment that was the clear turning point, but I see people on this site, over and over, bemoaning how people could still be supporting Clinton and wondering how they cannot see that he's the winner, etc. Now that I've hopped on that "hope train", I understand a little better the frustration, but I also get how becoming a supporter can be a slow process for some.
Oh, I've seen the standard fare: he's inexperienced/muslim/communist/misogynist/America-hater, and I'm not talking about that stuff. This is going to sound silly, but damn it--he's such a nice guy. I mean honestly, when have you ever seen someone continue to be pleasant under the kind of assault this man has been under? When have you ever seen a politician under this kind of microscope that didn't lose it at least once? Our political bar is set so low (thanks George) that we just can't believe he's for real.
He writes his own stuff? And reads it? And speaks complete sentences? And makes sense? And he's a politician? Get out of town!
"If it seems to good to be true, it is." My father's favorite saying, and a philosophy I've lived by (for the most part). When this is added to "A politician is lying if his lips are moving," well--isn't that all of our experiences with politics? We hope for the best, but we expect the worst, and with most of these guys, we get it eventually. From wide stances to the Patriot Act and everything in between. We watch them sell this nation off a piece at a time and gnash our teeth and wait for the next election cycle, hoping maybe THIS time...
I was pretty lukewarm about Obama early on. I liked him well enough, but I wasn't excited about him, and while he'd seemed on fire at the 2004 convention, I didn't see that on the campaign trail. I watched Edwards for a bit, and I'll admit he appealed to me the most early on, but I didn't trust him. He gave up his seat and stuck me with Liddy Dole AND he voted for the war--even though he apologized. But I was more enthusiastic for him than the others for one reason and one reason only..he gave voice to my righteous anger and indignation.
The truth is, I wasn't where I could even hear Obama's message. I was sick and tired of watching the Constitution get spit on, and I wanted someone to tear huge, bloody strips of flesh off those who had allowed it to happen. Or, as Guthrie would say: "I want to kill, I want blood and guts and veins in my teeth, eat dead, burnt bodies, I want to kill". In all honesty, I still do, but as I began to listen more closely to Obama's speeches, something else became clear to me: It was time to get out of my own way.
I watched the Chris Matthews College Bowl interview the other day and sat there open-mouthed as Matthews lobbed Clinton mistakes and problems at Obama--and he didn't swing. Not once. He waved them aside, took a broader view of the question or just pretended Matthews hadn't said the word "Clinton". I was totally stunned. You'd think by now, I wouldn't be, but the part of me that's been watching this process for 20 years or so couldn't believe he let it go. That he actually followed through on his philosophy of bringing people together and not getting involved in negative campaigning. And on the flip side, I was yelling at the TV telling him to run with the question, spike the ball and "git 'er". So I don't exactly embody the general theme of civility--even though I admire it and it draws me to his campaign...I still want to kill.
So do most of us, I think. We're tired of being lied to, stepped on, robbed of our future, and ignored. And it sounds good, being united, but we've got a "uniter, not a divider" now and I don't have to tell anyone here what kind of felonious moron he is. Every politician says he wants to unite the country and work for the people, and for some of us, we roll our eyes and assume they're lying, so it takes a little while to realize that the actions are speaking just as loud as the words.
But the willing to fight thing? That's Clinton's milieu, so to speak. She's the "fighter". In the last week, I've had conversations with 5 Clinton supporters (four of whom are now former) and that always seems to be what it boils down to. Not experience, not being a woman, "she's a fighter". But now they're beginning to see that she's fighting the wrong way, for the wrong reasons--that being able to destroy someone is not necessarily the best quality after all. But they're struggling to let go of that anger and see that Obama is a fighter, just not the kind we're used to.
When people say "I don't know what he stands for", its just code for "he's too nice." because in the political world, nice means weak or indecisive. They do know what he stands for, they just can't see it as effective because, like me, they want someone who will tear bloody strips of flesh from the enemy. It took me months to realize Obama is right. The only way to save this nation is to work together and STOP trying to tear bloody chunks of flesh off one another. And yet...
Every time GW's idiot face is on the TV, I want to kill. Every time Lieberman plays lackey for this administration, I want to kill. And when Cheney smirked and said "So?"--hell, yes, I want to kill. Sorry, evil, self-absorbed, greedy, lying felons, die!
And there Obama stands, thoughtful and, well, nice and saying things about common hopes and dreams. Great things, things he's backing up with deeds. Even this "bitter-gate" business and that train-wreck on ABC the other night--he came back strong, but not mean and I so admire that...
It just took a while for the red to clear from in front of my eyes.