Obama

Okay, a little while ago I got a little defensive on behalf of Hillary - you know which Hillary - because I think she's a decent, resilient, accomplished woman who seeks to serve her country despite really nasty personal attacks. Sure, she's not perfect, but no one is. And if she somehow happens to become the next President of the United States, is there really any question that things are likely to get better? I mean, it's not like the country could be run any worse than it is today ...

For a couple of years after 9/11, I used to be addicted to U.S. politics. I read voraciously and followed all the cool blogs, like DailyKos, Mahablog, TalkingPointsMemo, and the great Whiskey Bar, which is no longer updated, though apparently online archives exist. I loved the way these writers could make me think and consider perspectives that sadly had never occurred to me. As well, being a total square my entire life, it was pretty cool (in a totally uncool, geeky way) to know ALL about Valerie Plame and the lack of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, etc. months before it finally - finally!!! - registered in the mainstream media. (My Uncle Ted did get a little prickly with me about the U.N. and weapons inspections there for a while, but these days he strangely doesn't mention it, perhaps because it's now clear to everyone that Iraq was a clusterfuck, and I use that word deliberately.) Eventually, though, after Bush was "elected" a second time (which still boggles the imagination, frankly), I just gave up. It was WAY too depressing to follow.

But things are turning around for the Democrats in the U.S. lately and it seems a little less optimism-depleting to return to those former blogging stomping-grounds of mine to read about the strong turnouts of voters to Democratic primaries and the strong polling numbers for their good candidates and just how good Republican candidates just don't want to be part of the Republican system long enough to get elected. [This doesn't mean that I think that all Republicans or conservatives are terrible people ... just their policies - especially those of the "neocons".]

But you know, probably the most interest- and optimism-generating feature about American politics today is Barack Obama. Say what you will about his inexperience and whether he's providing sufficient detail about what he'll do to enact his vision while in office, the man knows how to inspire and how to bring people together. Check out this video:


My favourite line is "I don't see black South Carolina, I don't see white South Carolina, I see South Carolina!") For some reason this is really powerful. I don't know if this man is overrated or not, to be honest, but I got goosebumps throughout this speech.

And tonight I read this anecdote from Bill Richardson, who at one time was also running for the Democratic nomination for president,

about how Obama saved him during one of last year's Democratic debates:

"I had just been asked a question -- I don't remember which one -- and Obama was sitting right next to me. Then the moderator went across the room, I think to Chris Dodd, so I thought I was home free for a while. I wasn't going to listen to the next question. I was about to say something to Obama when the moderator turned to me and said, 'So, Gov. Richardson, what do you think of that?' But I wasn't paying any attention! I was about to say, 'Could you repeat the question? I wasn't listening.' But I wasn't about to say I wasn't listening. I looked at Obama. I was just horrified. And Obama whispered, 'Katrina. Katrina.' The question was on Katrina! So I said, 'On Katrina, my policy . . .' Obama could have just thrown me under the bus. So I said, 'Obama, that was good of you to do that.'"

Barack Obama is a good man, perhaps even a great one. And now I can't help but watch and cheer him on.