The Obama Factor

A reader, having noticed my somewhat obvious regard for Barack Obama, recently commented "I can't help thinking that you're going to be pretty disappointed if he doesn't make it through to the next round or even President."

At some level, yes, of course I would be disappointed. I would be disappointed because I would love to see what could happen in this country over time, with someone like him leading it. I would love to see how his facile grasp of complex issues would manifest in decision-making. I would love to see if the country would indeed become more unified--because I can't see anyone else right now who could do that better than he could. And finally, yes I would be disappointed because I think he has the most intuitive grasp of foreign policy that I have seen in a long time (a topic close to my heart).

But on the other hand, I won't be too upset because I know that over time, all politicians will show their flaws and he will be no exception. The other candidates have their strengths too, and a lot of responsibility for the well-being of the country still lies outside of politics altogether. And even if he doesn't make it, he has still indelibly altered the course of the US political landscape. To have Bill Richardson endorse him partly because 'he speaks to us as adults', goes a long way, imho, to naming one of the biggest problems in the way this country deals with critical social issues. The media and PR spinners tend to simplify and polarize issues, treating us like children, and we are rarely given the opportunity to explore nuance, let alone engage in authentic dialogue. Everything is broken down into soundbites and black and white solutions.

In my view, Obama is bringing some reality back in to those discussions (yes, I'm thinking of his 'race speech'), and that has already caused positive consquences. He wades into the difficult issues, and doesn't promise easy answers. But he inspires people to believe that we can find the answers, we can find the healing, without having to deny the very real difficulties we face. Some very real and hopeful dialogues are being held throughout this country right now--not because Obama has all the answers, but because he seems to be able to create the space that allows for the right questions. And hopefully, regardless of who wins what, we will not fall back into being satisfied with the status quo we have had thus far.

I support him as nominee and hopefully as President, as a leader for this country, in large part because I see he is already leading this country.