Deciding For Obama At The Last Minute. Is It A Leap Of Faith? Yes. But That's A Good Thing.

My last minute unscientific polling among friends and family is telling me that the closer Obama gets to winning, the more people (especially women of a certain age) are hesitating. The experience argument is starting to bite at just the moment when they are realizing that he might actually become president. There is this ahead-of-time buyer's remorse kicking in. Do we really want to risk the future of this country on the rhetoric and style of this beautiful young man who came out of nowhere? Or do we want a Clinton Restoration? Shouldn't we turn this over to the pros, the people who know the ropes, know the game, isn't that the safe way to go? That's what they are asking.

One of them I particularly trust said to me -- but if I vote for Obama, isn't that a leap of faith?

To which I replied, in a moment of inspiration -- yes. It is a leap of faith. But that's a good thing. It's a young thing, a let's-get-over the baby boomer culture wars thing. That is, in fact, the whole point of his campaign against cynicism. It's the challenge of hope. It's the very meaning of hope.

So here's what it says if you decide for Obama at the last minute. It says: let's hand it over to the young people we raised and educated. We did a pretty good job of that, actually. So let's not be greedy. Let's get off the stage with grace and dignity and leave it all in the hands of the next generation.

I trust my kids. Don't you?