BARACK OBAMA - THE MAN

What is it about Barack Obama that brings excitement anew to those of us who have grown dissatisfied with how our country is run, and unhappy with the state of our country, yet we search to find that special "someone" who can renew us and instill in us a new hope for our future. I myself have never been active at all in stating my views or getting so intrigued with the political process. Now I find myself trying to find out everything I can about this man who has brought renewed excitement in politics, and in fact our future for this country.

I am but a humble person, living my life in New York, worrying about day to day life, upset with the way things are going for our country, yet feeling powerless to do anything. I now find myself excited about one man, who demands attention by his very presence, and his speech and his ideas have a quality that I have not seen in a long time. There is just something "special" about him. It is difficult to define, but it is there. A sense he is destined to do great things, and is on the threshold of that journey.

In my search for more information about Barack Obama, I came upon an old article he wrote for Time Magazine back in 2005. It tells me something about the man which intriques me even more.

The title of the article is: "What I see in Lincoln's eyes". Senator Obama appears to have been a young man when he wrote this article, but it gave me insight into the man who is now a US Senator. This intelligent man, with a great education, President of the Harvard Law Review, who instead of following his fellow graduates into big and income producing law firms, choose instead to go back to his community and work with the "have nots", losing his first election, but forging onward and never giving up. It tells me something of the character of the man we look at now as a possible candidate for President of the United States. For Lincoln had no formal college education, yet steered our country through a terrible civil war, with little experience, he became one of our greatest Presidents.

For those who would make the arguement that Senator Barack Obama lacks experience, I can only point to a great President and suggest that not all greatness is forged in governship or time in Congress, but rather in the make up of the man, the quality that makes him the right man at the right time. Perhaps that is what made Lincoln such a great President. He went to Washington with fresh eyes and an open mind, unblemished by the political turmoil that continually exists in Washington, open to new ideas, and working with both parties, he steered us through a great civil war. He had his faults, for who can state they have no faults, but he became an icon with a great memorial we all visit when travelling to Washington D.C.

I would suggest that one need not point at the amount of TIME spent in politics, but in the QUALITY of the person, the qualities that make up the person and the ideas they present. We are at a crossroad in our country, one that is filled with angry citizens over many issues and it is a time we need someone who is not a "cookie cutter" candidate, but one who can instill in the people of this country a new found enthusiasm, and a renewed hope for our future. Issues there will be, but to deal with these issues we need a candidate for the "moment". I feel that candidate is Senator Barack Obama.