Is Barack Obama the start of a movement or the continuation of something that has already begun?
The conversations always begin the same way. A person on the street or at a job will spot my dark blue Obama '08 t-shirt and will feel a need to address it. The approach is often respectful, curious but reserved, interested but cautious. They want to know why I support him. Why is Obama causing a stir in the media? Why are the college kids fascinated with him? Is this an example of the Cult of Personality so clichéd over the years? Or, is there something else going on beneath the surface? People really want to know. As a long time supporter of the Senator, I feel the need to answer these observers. In this simple attempt, I might get it wrong. I might not understand what everyone else is thinking but I do know what is driving me. With humility and begging your patience, here is what I call the Audacity of Soap.…
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26 - Clavos
And the fact is that your assessment of Obama is not shared by a large number of people - perhaps a plurality of voters come November. I happen to like the guy as do many others. (emphasis added)
True.
About as many as do share his assessment.
27 - Lee Richards
#21:
Baritone,
I want someone who isn't a fraud or a phony--Ghandi would be great, if he were available.
I also would like a candidate to possess integrity, intelligence, judgment, curiosity, empathy, compassion, a sense of humor, and the confidence not to run scared.
In the land of the free and the home of the brave, with our unlimited opportunities and large population, I really don't know why those should be unrealistic expectations for candidates, except that those who might meet them are usually out living real lives, instead of prancing and preening in the fraudulent and phony world of politics.
28 - Baritone
Lee,
But whose fault is that? Look at what is demanded of political candidates. Again, it is the nature of the beast that politicians are forced to talk out of both sides of their mouths to have any chance of getting elected. So perhaps your expectations are, in fact, unrealistic. Given the nature of our system, I don't see much chance for a cure.
That being said, I find Barack Obama meets most if not all of your prescription. He has openly and often displayed intelligence, curiosity, empathy, compassion and certainly has a great sense of humor - is capable of laughing at himself and the pretensions of the task he has taken on, and yet seems to have no shortage of confidence.
I've seen nothing that concerns me regarding his integrity and as to judgment, the jury may still be out on that one, but perhaps we will see in the coming 2 or 3 months.
Actually, you will find a number of people who, in retrospect have come to the conclusion that Ghandi was a bit of a phoney and perhaps a fraud. I have not studied much about the man, but he does have his detractors. He was, afterall, just a guy AND a politician.
B
29 - Dr Dreadful
The spelling, as I'm fairly certain has been pointed out here before, is G-A-N-D-H-I.
30 - Baritone
Write u r
31 - The Obnoxious American
As info, I stopped reading after this:
"As the current pulleys and levers have rusted from neglect, we have become aware of a spiteful class war between the greedy and the cynical, between the Preachers of Armageddon and the Children of the World Wide Web. "
Sure, its all black and white. I'm voting McCain so clearly I am greedy and preaching armageddon? Puleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze!
32 - The Obnoxious American
I think this debate about Obama's attributes, or McCain's lack thereof is wrong on it's face. Any fair reading of McCain shows a lot in terms of integrity, honor, love for country, sacrifice, etc. There isn't much in Obama's history to read from, aside from the way he got into office in Illinois (forcing his competition off the ballot), his shifting policies, his self centered-ness.
I'm not saying that the GOP charicature of Obama is any more true than the Dem charicature of McCain. The point is that they are both charicatures. So since when have we stopped caring about policies? Since when does great speech giving trump politicians who take a stand?
33 - Lee Richards
#29:
Thanks, Dr. D. Carelessness and/or ignorance on my part.
Lee
34 - American Guy
The *real* Audacity of Soap is supporting our injured veterans through donations to the Yellow Ribbon Fund. :)