Obama Will Be One of The Greatest (and Most Loved) American Presidents

Great presidents are made great by horrible circumstances combined with character, temperament and intelligence. Like firemen, cops, doctors or soldiers, presidents need a crisis to shine.

Obama is one of the most intelligent presidential aspirants to ever step forward in American history. The likes of his intellectual capabilities have not been surpassed in public life since the Founding Fathers put pen to paper. His personal character is also solid gold. Take heart, America: we have the leader for our times.

I say this as a white, former life-long Republican. I say this as the proud father of a Marine. I say this as just another American watching his pension evaporate along with the stock market! I speak as someone who knows it's time to forget party loyalty, ideology and pride and put the country first. I say this as someone happy to be called a fool for going out on a limb and declaring that, 1) Obama will win, and 2) he is going to be amongst the greatest of American presidents.

Obama is our last best chance. He's worth laying it all on the line for.

This is a man who in the age of greed took the high road of community service. This is the good father and husband. This is the humble servant. This is the patient teacher. This is the scholar statesman. This is the man of deep Christian faith.

Good stories about Obama abound; from his personal relationship with his Secret Service agents (he invites them into his home to watch sports, and shoots hoops with them) to the story about how, more than twenty years ago, while standing in the check-in line at an airport, Obama paid a $100 baggage surcharge for a stranger who was broke and stuck. (Obama was virtually penniless himself in those days.) Years later after he became a senator, that stranger recognized Obama's picture and wrote to him to thank him. She received a kindly note back from the senator. (The story only surfaced because the person, who lives in Norway, told a local newspaper after Obama ran for the presidency. The paper published a photograph of this lady proudly displaying Senator Obama's letter.)

Where many leaders are two-faced; publicly kindly but privately feared and/or hated by people closest to them, Obama is consistent in the way he treats people, consistently kind and personally humble. He lives by the code that those who lead must serve. He believes that. He lives it. He lived it long before he was in the public eye.

Obama puts service ahead of ideology. He also knows that to win politically you need to be tough. He can be. He has been. This is a man who does what works, rather than scoring ideological points. In other words he is the quintessential non-ideological pragmatic American. He will (thank God!) disappoint ideologues and purists of the left and the right.

Obama has a reservoir of personal physical courage that is unmatched in presidential history. Why unmatched? Because as the first black contender for the presidency who will win, Obama, and all the rest of us, know that he is in great physical danger from the seemingly unlimited reserve of unhinged racial hatred, and just plain unhinged ignorant hatred, that swirls in the bowels of our wounded and sinful country. By stepping forward to lead, Obama has literally put his life on the line for all of us in a way no white candidate ever has had to do. (And we all know how dangerous the presidency has been even for white presidents.)

Nice stories or even unparalleled courage isn't the only point. The greater point about Obama is that the midst of our worldwide financial meltdown, an expanding (and losing) war in Afghanistan, trying to extricate our country from a wrong and stupidly mistaken ruinously expensive war in Iraq, our mounting and crushing national debt, awaiting the next (and inevitable) al Qaeda attack on our homeland, watching our schools decline to Third World levels of incompetence, facing a general loss of confidence in the government that has been exacerbated by the Republicans doing all they can to undermine our government's capabilities and programs... President Obama will take on the leadership of our country at a make or break time of historic proportions. He faces not one but dozens of crisis, each big enough to define any presidency in better times.

As luck, fate or divine grace would have it (depending on one's personal theology) Obama is blessedly, dare I say uniquely, well-suited to our dire circumstances. Obama is a person with hands-on community service experience, deep connections to top economic advisers from the renowned University of Chicago where he taught law, and a middle-class background that gives him an abiding knowledgeable empathy with the rest of us. As the son of a single mother, who has worked his way up with merit and brains, recipient of top-notch academic scholarships, the peer-selected editor of the Harvard Law Review and, in three giant political steps to state office, national office and now the presidency, Obama clearly has the wit and drive to lead.

Obama is the sober voice of reason at a time of unreason. He is the fellow keeping his head while all around him are panicking. He is the healing presence at a time of national division and strife. He is also new enough to the political process so that he doesn't suffer from the terminally jaded cynicism, the seen-it-all-before syndrome afflicting most politicians in Washington. In that regard we Americans lucked out. It's as if having despaired of our political process we picked a name from the phone book to lead us and that person turned out to be a very man we needed.

Obama brings a healing and uplifting spiritual quality to our politics at the very time when our worst enemy is fear. For eight years we've been ruled by a stunted fear-filled mediocrity of a little liar who has expanded his power on the basis of creating fear in others. Fearless Obama is the cure. He speaks a litany of hope rather than a litany of terror.

As we have watched Obama respond in a quiet reasoned manner to crisis after crisis, in both the way he has responded after being attacked and lied about in the 2008 campaign season, to his reasoned response to our multiplying national crises, what we see is the spirit of a trusted family doctor with a great bedside manner. Obama is perfectly suited to hold our hand and lead us through some very tough times. The word panic is not in the Obama dictionary.

America is fighting its "Armageddon" in one fearful heart at a time. A brilliant leader with the mild manner of an old-time matter-of-fact country doctor soothing a frightened child is just what we need. The fact that our "doctor" is a black man leading a hitherto white-ruled nation out of the mess of its own making is all the sweeter and raises the Obama story to that of moral allegory.

Obama brings a moral clarity to his leadership reserved for those who have had to work for everything they've gotten and had to do twice as well as the person standing next to them because of the color of their skin. His experience of succeeding in spite of his color, social background and prejudice could have been embittering or one that fostered a spiritual rebirth of forgiveness and enlightenment. Obama radiates the calm inner peace of the spirit of forgiveness.

Speaking as a believing Christian I see the hand of a merciful God in Obama's candidacy. The biblical metaphors abound. The stone the builder rejected is become the cornerstone... the last shall be first... he that would gain his life must first lose it... the meek shall inherit the earth...

For my secular friends I'll allow that we may have just been extraordinarily lucky! Either way America wins.

Only a brilliant man, with the spirit of a preacher and the humble heart of a kindly family doctor can lead us now. We are afraid, out of ideas, and worst of all out of hope. Obama is the cure. And we Americans have it in us to rise to the occasion. We will. We're about to enter one of the most frightening periods of American history. Our country has rarely faced more uncertainty. This is the time for greatness. We have a great leader. We must be a great people backing him, fighting for him, sacrificing for a cause greater than ourselves.

A hundred years from now Obama's portrait will be placed next to that of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt. Long before that we'll be telling our children and grandchildren that we stepped out in faith and voted for a young black man who stood up and led our country back from the brink of an abyss. We'll tell them about the power of love, faith and hope. We'll tell them about the power of creativity combined with humility and intellectual brilliance. We'll tell them that President Obama gave us the gift of regaining our faith in our country. We'll tell them that we all stood up and pitched in and won the day. We'll tell them that President Obama restored our standing in the world. We'll tell them that by the time he left office our schools were on the mend, our economy booming, that we'd become a nation filled with green energy alternatives and were leading the world away from dependence on carbon-based destruction. We'll tell them that because of President Obama's example and leadership the integrity of the family was restored, divorce rates went down, more fathers took responsibility for their children, and abortion rates fell dramatically as women, families and children were cared for through compassionate social programs that worked. We'll tell them about how the gap closed between the middle class and the super rich, how we won health care for all, how crime rates fell, how bad wars were brought to an honorable conclusion. We'll tell them that when we were attacked again by al Qaeda, how reason prevailed and the response was smart, tough, measured and effective, and our civil rights were protected even in times of crisis...

We'll tell them that we were part of the inexplicably blessed miracle that happened to our country those many years ago in 2008 when a young black man was sent by God, fate or luck to save our country. We'll tell them that it's good to live in America where anything is possible. Yes we will.

Frank Schaeffer is the author of CRAZY FOR GOD-How I Grew Up As One Of The Elect, Helped Found The Religious Right, And Lived To Take All (Or Almost All) Of It Back. Now in paperback.

Follow Frank Schaeffer on Twitter: www.twitter.com/frank_schaeffer

Comments

[Silverbird]

The U.C.C. has a saying, "God Is Still Speaking!" I truly believe that HE is speaking to us through OBAMA....for the first time, I believe we have a presidential candidate who--by his demographic, ethnic, academic, social, spiritual, and cultural background and life experience­s-embodies almost, if not all, of God's people....Grounded by his faith, OBAMA has heard "God's" calling--to help heal and uplift our country, and participate in healing the world..

Thank you for your article, and courage to voice the importance and value of keeping God's will in leading a people......and, more importantly, listening to your own voice of God- who speaks to you and reminds you that the choice you make should not be based on partisanship, but on the one who most represents God's will and desires for all humankind--faith, hope, love, charity, forgiveness--a moral sense of what is right!

God Is Still Speaking!

[flash LI]

This is so funny. Let a conservative mention the word 'God' and leftist jaws hit the floor and they all start pointing fingers as if they are the zombies of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. Hmmm... They might be!!

HAHAHA lol

[bkovitz]

Thank you for writing this article.

This is the best articulation yet of how fortunate we are to have this man running for president at this time in our history. Obama represents the true American spirit: intelligent, benevolent, pragmatic, dedicated to progress, and giving respect to all.

[kendrew]

Can you please go to each state and tell them this, it brought tears to my eyes also to think that someone else sees it the same way I do and we can not mess it up this time it's too important and he is the perfect man for the job!!!!

[beetlenana2003]

Beautiful article. May he be our next President!

[globalcitizenlinda]

Thanks for this article - brilliantly written and I have printed a copy for my Obama scrap book.

I share the same feelings about Obama and I judge him and his personal decency on two levels and these are:
(1) the road he has travelled and how he has behaved along the way. Specifically based on the personal choices he has made in his personal life and his career when no cameras were looking - this shows the essence of the person;

(2) Informal feed back from those around Barack in private and day-to-day. People who have known him for a long time praise his kindness, ability to listen to them and are extremely loyal to him. He is the one candidate who inspired people to the extent that his own more-known college professors and the janitors from his neighborhood are willing to put it all on the line for him during the campaign period. It reflects a pretty amazing ability to relate to people from many different backgrounds and comfort with who he is.

Something that says a lot about him is that he is always carrying his own luggage on the campaing trail and unconsioucly cleaning up trash that he sees in his surroundings.

Qualities of Barack that will serve us well include: socio-economic diversity, super intelligence, calm spirit, personal dignity, deep ability to listen to others and total respect of people as members of the human race. I am looking foward to a President Obama!!

[AnAmericanWoman]

wow.. how wonderful. Frank , you have hit a home run. Your words are what's in my heart exactly.

GOD bless America - and may GOD bless Barack Obama.

[Yola]

Speechless! Tears! HOPE!

[JenniferInMO]

Beautifully written. I often need reminders of what we are fighting for while I spend my day commenting and refuting articles that contain such horrible smears. As I watch video after video of hate-filled people, spewing their venom I find myself fighting on that level. We have great hope for Obama and high expectations, but if we stay informed and engaged and work with each other to allow him to do his thing we might just find ourselves on that path that you describe and some of us dare to dream about.

[CKP5]

Even Jesus couldn't accomplish all the things that Obama is going to do - I can't wait!

[berryessence]

LOOK NEOCON DON'T GO THERE

KEEP YOUR FAITH IN GOD.......AND HOPE FOR JESUS.....PRAY FOR OBAMA TO WIN

DON'T NEVER PUT A MAN BEFORE YOUR FAITH!

I'M FOR OBAMA...BUT OBAMA CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT GOD..... AND US VOTING FOR HIM

[tbeez]

This is the "Real Barack Obama"

[sustainabletruth]

Great! Just So: The REAL BARACK OBAMA!

Ever since I first heard him speak,something in me stirred, and I could not believe that I was finally feeling a sense of hope inside and a sense that someone was finally being authentic in politics.
Obama is a good man and we know it.
He is brilliant and grounded and has the power to inspire us all to be better people.
It's never to late for America to become what it might have been without BUSH.
The planet needs us now. We stand at a turning point. Either we change directions and start recovering from the wreckage of our greed and lack of foresight, or we head toward complete world wide darkness. OBAMA '08 THE BEST IS COMING! LIFE IS GOOD and I feel safer with Obama on the Planet!!

[sixkillersam]

Dear Mr. Obama,

Your sense of selflessness will lift us.

[eaglecries]

Thank you sir.

This is one of the best articles written about Obama. It is such a shame that there are so many who are filled with hate and fear of this great man and refuse to take the opportunity to get to really know the truth about him. Such a sad state our political process has fell to when lies and hate can be a core part of a Presidential campaign.

McCain and Palin have gone far below being decent in their behavior.

I must also say that with our nation as divided as it is along party lines it is so refreshing to see that there are still some good Republicans left in this country. I really hope that after this meltdown of the Republican party they will go back to the values and ideals that the real Conservative Republicans of Ike's day and rebuild the party based on policies and ideals that are good for all our nation and not just the robber barons and fundamentalist religious right who have taken it over.

Our nation needs at least two strong parties who both are willing to put country before and above party . We have not had that for some time now.

Peace
:)

[ladycubsfan]

From your mouth to God's ear.

[LWhee1961]

Amen to that!

[marcus33]

This comment is in response the multiple responses my comment received (unfortunately none yet from Frank Schaeffer) concerning how Frank deals with Obama's ideaology on abortion and his claim of Obama's great judgement.

As someone who is in the adoption process, helps provide health care to the poor in my community, takes a doctor yearly to give care to some of the poorest in Mexico, and gives 10x more to charity than Senator Biden (though my household income is about 1/6 his). I can help the poor, promote education, and be pro-life. Isn't this more in line with the teachings of Jesus, than promoting a pro-death culture? Let me state that I also love Obama as a human being and the many who have had abortions. I am just unwilling to put more or less value on Obama's life than I am an unborn child. You would cry over the death of Obama, a friend, or a whale, but you won't cry over the death of the unborn....how inconsistent and narrow minded is that? My greater concern is for those who claim to be christians yet will not stand up for the truly innocent and defenseless.

[Caffrey]

The truly innocent and defenseless children of the world who die in wars, what about them, sir!

[marcus33]

The death of any innocent person is awful. War is always awful and should be avoided whenever possible. If you are referring to Iraq, we must remember that Iraq's former dictator was responsible for the death of large numbers of his own people (including children), the paid rape of hundreds if not thousands of women, and the mass murdering of a people group. Regardless of what we should have done in the past we must deal with the reality that we are there at the present. Would it be better to do our best to help the country of Iraq become stable before leaving and at the same time hold on to an anti-abortion stance, or to give a definite date when a new faction can rise to power and have a pro-abortion stance The former seems far more favorable and in line with the biblical concept of protecting the innocent. The sad truth is that we live in an evil world where people destroy others. Abortion has been a war on children that has killed millions. Worldwide 1 out of every 5 pregnancies ends in abortion (according to the world health org). I agree with you that we should weep over the children and all innocent who die in wars...can you agree with me that this war on the unborn should stop?

[mikehardwick]

Wow...what a great article. I laughed, I cried...and then I threw up.

Too bad he cannot be elected because he is not a US Citizen.

Wait for the greatest October Surprise in the history of presidential elections.

[littlequeenie]

WTF??

[Yola]

The only candidate not born on American soil is McCain. You guys are really nuts!

[sustainabletruth]

Ignorance is bliss.
Obama was born in Hawaii, which is a STATE of the UNITED STATES. He is a citizen.
McCain was born in Panama. He is also a citizen.
Please, get the facts!