In the midst of all the controversy of the last few weeks, I have been compelled to formulate a statement of why I am in support of the candidate I favor, Barack Obama, rather than why I oppose the others. I invite anyone to contribute, of course, as this is an open thread. Criticism and disagreement are invited. Hopefully, even with conflict, this thread can avoid the vitriol and name calling that has been so prominent, but I'm not holding my breath.
I love Barack Obama. Love him. I am thoroughly and completely excited and inspired by his campaign, his experience (yes!), and and his approach. Parsing through the last two weeks of online chatter has caused me to think in a more defensive way about my candidate, listening to criticisms, researching comebacks, trying to stay a step ahead in this oh so deadly serious world of political blogging.
A couple of nights ago I was feeling a bit discouraged by the whole process. I asked my wife, a committed social activist, why she supports Barack Obama. She doesn't follow national politics that closely, and I was genuinely curious about what her reasoning might be. "Because he makes me cry." That's it, really? I felt a bit disappointed-this is no reason to choose a president.
Actually, maybe it is. When I look at my own support of Obama, I have read and learned all I can find to bolster my argument in his behalf. But really, when I look back, it was the 2004 DNC that grabbed me. I have since teared up watching a number of his speeches. When I listen to Barack speak, something inside moves a bit. I feel a sense of possibility, of yes, hope. And after those speeches, I almost always feel compelled to act.
Obama understands that in order to really make change in America, people must feel invested, connected. Connection is facilitated through emotional experience, emotion fuels transformative change. There is nothing more substantive than reaching through the jungle of modern telecommunication to touch people in their hearts and to remind them that they are empowered to create the future they want.
This is definitely the type of rhetoric that gets derided as naive or unsubstantive. And that is why Barack is the ideal candidate. His commitment to progressive ideals and values is clear, his ability to deliver his message is brilliant, but he is also a brilliant tactician and politician. You don't become president of the Harvard law review without serious intellectual chops, and you don't survive the Chicago political machine without grit and political will.
This combination of toughness, sensitivity and vision is exactly what is needed at this point in history. Obama can clearly articulate a vision for a greater future, and his vision is so compelling that thousands and thousands of people have been compelled to act. His organization, which was build from scratch starting just over a year ago, is incredible. This has happened, not because of msm love, not because he is simply charismatic, but because he has found the right message at the right time for America, and he is incomparably skilled and qualified to deliver it.