Tuesday, November 18, 2008

a rare political statement

politics is sticky in america, and it's odd to be an "alien" at this time of year. this is the first year i've ever followed american politics at all, and if nothing else, it's been interesting!

i watched obama interviewed on cbs on sunday night - and i found myself (again) impressed. he was clearly intelligent and well reasoned, and not leaping from grandiosity to grandiosity. instead, he seemed to have a sober assesment of the long climb ahead of him - and the country - and a solid committment to continue putting one foot in front of the other. i have to agree with jon stewart - when obama speaks, i get the sense that he is who he says he is. i get a sense that he is more than just a talking head.

my enjoyment of the interview went to a whole new level when michelle joined the conversation. watching them i couldn't help but notice the way she called him on his crap - like trying to wax eloquent about doing dishes. she wouldn't let him get away with it. and that's good - because i think a wife who will call her husband on the small things will call him on the big things, too - help him stay true to himself. this is the sort of conversation curtis and i would have - a couple who love each other, and know each other. once again the sense that they are not fabricating a marriage for the public, but rather are people who are working to keep their marriage together, who have genuine love for each other and for their daughters. the idea of having that kind of first family makes my heart happy. i hope that they can find ways to protect and sustain that.

i was excited, listening to him. hopeful. (how cliche!) i hope he's the man who he says he is. i hope that he finds wise counsellors and has the humility to listen to them. i didn't agree with either candidate on every issue, but i am optimistic that obama could lead well, and we could see positive change for once in a long while.

3 comments:

Breezy said...

Well said! I hate I missed that the other night. I have to say, when he speaks...I want to listen. And, sadly, I haven't felt that way about our leader (our country's leader) in a while. Typically I want to turn the channel. I hear others say the same thing and this is good. He is impressive, I just hope that we can continue to hold him up and not put him down...I hope what he's given us is his real self (because it really does seem like it!).

Marilyn said...

This is the first president I want to pray for. For all the above reasons. And because this is going to be a very hard job. He will need all his wisdom and more. The bar is pretty high for him and that means even more critique. So like I said, I am praying for him.

jdhall said...

Permission to speak freely?