With the final debate chalked as a win in the Obama column, a commanding lead both in the national polls and key swing states, as well as an unprecedented ground campaign, Obama could not be better positioned for a march to victory.
What is vital in the following weeks is that those of us who support him shift into a new mode. Not in the direction of relaxing, getting cocky, or assuming it is all over. Rather, the shift is in moving beyond attacks and critiques of McCain and Palin or even George Bush, towards sharing our authentic love for Obama and what his presidency will mean not only for us but for future generations and the world.
There are certainly strategic reasons for this shift. The more magnetic, joy-filled, excited, and infectious the campaign is at this point, the more likely we can increase participation and voter turnout, as well as draw undecideds into the fold. Everyone wants to be part of making history and America loves a winning team. Fostering that sense of a celebratory, joyful movement can draw people out of the cynicism and hopelessness that has kept so much of our electorate disengaged in the past.
The key, though, is that this excitement can't just be media hype or strategy. It needs to be authentic.
That's where each of our love comes in. As we share openly and vulnerably with friends, neighbors and co-workers what we love about Obama and what his presidency will mean, we allow people to shift from policies and parties, attack ads and critiques into real human connection. That real human connection is essential for us to move beyond bitter partisanship to the kind of unity that will be required for an Obama presidency to face the current challenges of America.
That said, I feel a bit shy about sharing my authentic love for Obama. The truth is that when I imagine him in the White House with Michelle, tears come to my eyes every time. I see that moment as a revolution in the heart of America; we will have broken the final link that has bound us to a history of slavery and racial division. Even more than that, we will have a true world citizen as our leader, a man with profound roots in other countries that do not diminish his love and loyalty to America.
When I first read Dreams from My Father, long before he had declared his candidacy and just after he began to emerge on the national stage, I was touched by Obama's vulnerability, impressed with his intellectual depth, and moved by his spiritual journey. I instinctively knew that, when the time was right, he would be our President. Even then, the prospect of what that would mean for America and the world would crack open my heart and make me weep.
There is a nobility about Obama that restores my faith in our political process. He reminds me of previous eras in which we expected our political leaders to be exemplars of dignity. Not just people who we would imagine having a beer with or someone to "fight for us" but someone who we can genuinely admire and hold up as role models for ourselves and our children. His composure during the debates has reinforced this feeling of nobility. When offered opportunities to belittle McCain or Palin, he almost always defers and acts with the decency we have long craved in a politician.
The more I read about and watch Obama, the better a man I feel called to be. Truly. I have spoken with friends about asking the question, "What would Obama do?" in moments when I am angry about someone's behavior or polarized against another opinion. He does not react to situations and people. He is thoughtful, measured, respectful, and loving, even around those with whom he disagrees. He can simultaneously hold strong progressive positions and find respectful common ground with conservative ones.
Obama also embodies the American dream, from his humble roots to the upper echelons of prestige and power. He shines with the intellectual brilliance of a Harvard Law scholar while he also radiates the compassion of a man of faith who has served the poorest of the poor. That combination transcends divisions of class since he has been intimate with every echelon of American society.
His relationship with Michelle is also inspiring to behold. In each gesture and word, it is clear that he respects her deeply and holds her as full equal, sometimes with the self-deprecating sense that she truly is his better half. That does not mean there are not challenges; the path he has chosen demands extraordinary sacrifice from the family and he is transparent in his books about the strain that has put on her. But as an example of true loving partnership between two remarkable beings, I see few other examples that go beyond them.
Although parodied on the right, there is an authentic sense that Obama has become a spiritual leader in addition to being a political leader, something we have not seen in a long time in national politics. He is a spiritual leader without rhetoric or dogma, without even speaking much about our relationship with God, Spirit, or the Divine. He is a spiritual leader by virtue of his enlightened demeanor, the deep moral clarity in his positions, and his integration of head, heart, and soul. He does not talk about holiness but there is a strong scent of it about him.
In short, I love Obama. Truly. Not to the point of blindness or lock-step agreement on policy issues. Not to the point where I don't sometimes have moments of frustration. But there is something authentic, deep, and powerful that has welled up within me from the moment he emerged on the national stage and that has grown through the books, articles, and breathtaking speeches. The love has deepened as I hear about how he manages his campaign and the myriad ways he has inspired a whole new generation. Obama is here to not only help us be a better country, but inspire each of us to be better people. And that is the kind of change that endures beyond campaigns, Presidential terms, and economic crises.
It is time for each of us to share publicly and vulnerably our most heartfelt impressions of this man and what his presidency will mean for America. That is a gift that we can each give to make this campaign reverberate with the hope, excitement and love that can carry America beyond our current challenges into a bright new day.