I just read David Mizner's The Sphere Coalescing Behind Edwards in which Sean Casey asks an honest question:
What is it about Obama that is causing people to leave Edwards and move to him? I just can't understand it. Neither Obama or HRC is offering anything impressive, where are they winning the battle against Edwards. After what has happened the last 7 years, are people just that complacent?
I attempted to answer in the diary but was one of the last posters. I'd like my response to go on the record so...I decided to diary it.
Here it is, below the fold:
The rest of this diary is my response, except for this. Please watch it as I'd like ya'll to consider it a little NOLA-type New Year's present to all of you. Some of you have already seen it.
So, without further adieu: Here is my response to Sean.
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I'll attempt to answer this as honestly as I can but it will only be my perspective. What other one could I possibly present?
I have suffered in my life. I have had battles where I have been misunderstood. I have had difficulty in love affairs. I am creative which has its own burdens to bear. I have been cruelly criticized for my love of the world by those who are afraid of the world.
Through this, I have succeeded and know what it takes to do that without becoming bitter or jaded.
When I read Obama's book, it was clear to me, that he is like this, too. When you've experienced certain things and in a certain way, you recognize a kindred spirit.
I know what it takes to face anger, prejudice and misunderstandings and to still care about those people even though they've hurt me.
I know what it takes to carve out your own "self" when much around you makes that difficult.
I know what it is to be altruistic and how that's manifest. So does Obama.
I love the world and the life in it. And, from reading Obama's own narrative, I know that he does, too.
One of the things that tells me that he is who he says he is is that people, who know him, corroborate what I know of him and they've known him for along time - far more intimately than I ever will.
He would make a great President, perhaps more so than the others, because he is more goal directed. You don't get where he's gotten because of favors granted through birthright.
It's not that he's experienced more of the world than the others (although a strong argument could be made that he has). It's that he has experienced the world through eyes that seek to understand. He has a history of being the kind of person who enters openly into new situations with curiosity and the desire to make sense out of his experiences.
Maybe I'm wrong but it looks like his marriage is solid. He adores his family and they - him.
Policy does not concern me so much, especially in this election. What does concern me is what our future President's approach to the world is. Presidents always have plenty of policy wonks around them and good Presidents use them wisely. Obama's political leanings aren't perfectly matched to mine, but they are close enough so that I can have faith in Obama's policies and that he isn't going to spring something on us that will hurt us.
No, policy isn't that important this election. What's important is character. I'm not dissing any of the other candidate's character by saying that it is Obama's character that impresses me the most.
After a President like George Bush, who is so weak of character, our next President needs to be as free of questionable character as possible. I believe Obama is that person.
This is not to say that the other candidates don't deserve the honor of being our President. It's just to say that Obama is my choice for the reasons I've given.