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?
" “This is what is possible, if you believe,” Mr. Obama said.
“We believe,” the crowd replied.
“There are a lot of people who tell you not to believe,” he added. “There are a lot of naysayers. A lot of doubting Thomases.”
“We believe,” the crowd replied again. “We believe!” "
No more JFK, RFK, MLK, now he is not-so-subtly invoking Jesus. I'm surprised he didn't invite anybody up to check for stigmata.
To which I replied, in a moment of inspiration -- yes. It is a leap of faith. But that's a good thing. Because, while she is of the boomer generation, she is able to take the best of that generation and apply it with confidence and effect to meet the challenges that face the country today.
My trusted associate said to me, "Isn't she a bit of a wonk unlike her counterpart Barack who has the oratory skills of an angel." Yes but while Obama can certainly walk the walk, it doesn't take a leap of faith to see that he has failed to walk the walk during his brief time in the Senate. Just look at how he came down in favor of his contributers from the nuclear industry who were leaking waste into the Chicago drinking water. It's all there in the Sunday times. So is that the hope, the change, the unity of which Obama speaks? That is too much of a leap for me.
Just look at his Rezko dealings..."nuckleheaded". I think not for that is Barack being far too generous toward himself. The leap of faith would be to presume no quid pro quo between Barack and Rezko, after Rezko facilitated Barack getting his house in Chicago. That is too much of a leap for me.
With Obama remember, you can't leap over a 10 foot chasm of doubt with two 5 foot leaps of faith.
16 years ago I remember a cohort of Boomers exclaiming it was "their turn" to run the nation.
Seems like a few of them think now the 2010's are supposed to be the "new 90's". Just like 50 is the new 30 and 60 is the new 40, I guess.
After 16 years of the Me generation in charge, I too think we'll be okay if we pass the torch to a younger Boomer (Obama, 46) rather than an older one.
I've seen some of them tell our kids to hold their hope for 8 more years. Then would be a good time for hope, says the contingent who voted for a 46 yr old Clinton who ran on hope and said he was inspired by JFK. Then it will be time for your hope guy. Well, unless we decide it is still our turn.
The world is a scary place. We can't turn it over to our kids and their hope nonsense like we did in 92...
Thank goodness only a few of us really think that way. Good thing for them irony isn't lethal.
I choose to vote for my aspirations. I trust Senator Obama to remain the man of staggering integrity that he has always been, to lead with the foresight he has always shown and to restore dignity to America's torn image abroad.
He inspires millions to step out of their comfort zone and dare to be the America we believe ourselves to be. He reminds us that a representative democracy and as such we get the government we choose.
I choose to vote for my belief that "in the face of impossible odds those who love their country can change it"
I choose to vote for Senator Barack Obama
What a trip. Mr. Unity now divides the generations.
Both Obama and Clinton have millions in Wall Street and Corporate donations. Such money comes with a lot of payback owed to the very organisms that have sucked life-threatening amounts of blood and treasure from our nation.
John Edwards was right to point out that it does, indeed, take an extraordinary leap of faith to believe Obama and Clinton will defy their benefactors I.O.U.s
"Lobbyists and corporations are people, too," Clinton said. And what will Obama's position be when his Wall Street investors come a callin'?
Beautiful man with beautiful retoric. Beautiful woman with rawer retoric. Both try to sound like Edwards, now, but Edwards was never for sale.
Look at where it got us.
I'm willing to dare to hope.
No third terms!