Obama: Power in Hope
I have watched Barack Obama since he burst onto the national political scene 6 or so years ago. He is, in my opinion, one of the smartest politicians since Clinton and certainly one of the most passionate. I’ve been expecting an announcement from him for awhile, but still…actually hearing it was profoundly moving, given the historical significance of his candidacy.
Obama really does have the ability to inspire — If he can dodge the petty mudslinging and stay on the high road, he will be a force to contend with.
From his speech:
For that is our unyielding faith – that in the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it.
and this one:
What’s stopped us from meeting these challenges is not the absence of sound policies and sensible plans. What’s stopped us is the failure of leadership, the smallness of our politics – the ease with which we’re distracted by the petty and trivial, our chronic avoidance of tough decisions, our preference for scoring cheap political points instead of rolling up our sleeves and building a working consensus to tackle big problems.
Obama’s candidacy grabs me more than any other right now, including Hilary Clinton. I have a lot of respect for Hilary, but I think she will be a divisive candidate. Obama may be, too, but I think he is smart enough and charismatic enough to overcome it.
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