I just had an odd experience.
I was browsing Huffington Post and I saw a headline that made me stop cold. Obama: Wright Controversy Has "Shaken me up a Little Bit". I clicked on it to find an article that quotes him saying just that, that this past week has caused him to remember that the odds of him getting elected "have always been lower than some of the other conventional candidates".
I read the article and I felt this really strong anger.
I see Obama as a rock. I've seen him be cool and calm under every pressure for 14 months. I've seen him quip back "Hillary, I'm looking forward to you advising me as well" in the face of her derisive laughter. He ALWAYS turns attacks into a positive--he's teflon! He has ice water in his veins.
And I was absolutely furious with him for admitting that this whole awful week has affected him in any way. I closed the article and scowled.
Obviously, what I was ACTUALLY angry at, is the terrible witch hunt against him. That he is being held up to a higher standard than any other politician, that he is too decent and too nuanced to fully translate into our media of soundbites. That while he is still strong, and we are all with him, this has been a real setback. That the ever-powerful "Reagan Democrats" seem to count about 5 times as much as the rest of us. That if EVERYONE knew Obama as well as those of us who are paying attention, they would undoubtedly want him as their president.
I remembered what I have seen Obama say on CSPAN when he's shaking hands in the middle of a crowd. Sometimes someone will whisper, "I'm praying for you". And he responds, "I believe in prayer. Lift me up!".
Well, I don't believe in prayer (I'm an atheist) but I believe in working hard for the person I want as my president, and that is what I am going to do. I just made another donation to Barack (my 7th!! I only give $25 at a time but I have NEVER given this much to a candidate before), and I am writing a letter to my local paper (granted I live in Massachussetts and we already voted) and e-mailing his beautiful speech to everyone I can think of, and phonebaking into Pennsylvania. And doing everything I possibly can to LIFT him up and help him weather this storm.
Update: Lots of people have let me know that the CNN segment that featured this quote was misinterpreted. Obama wasn't saying that he was personally shook up, but that he was STRATEGICALLY switching gears. The quote was taken out of context. Thank you for correcting me!
wow! I'm on the Rec list????????? Thank you very much folks!