Two truths

08Feb08

It was odd. I wasn’t watching the DNC in Boston at all. Except one night, I turned on the TV. And there was Barack Obama.

At first I thought, “Who is this?” and then as I watched him speak, the tone of my question changed. More like, “(Wow!) Who is this????”

And as soon as he announced his candidacy for the presidency, I rushed to my computer to donate. I’m no longer alone, as evidenced by CNN’s political ticker story “Obama raises $7.2 million since Super Tuesday”.

But it got me thinking about two truths I’ve been espousing lately.

It’s always about the money.
It’s always personal.

But maybe, in this case, those two truths aren’t the cynical observations of someone who has watched too many polical campaigns. Maybe in this case, it’s personal because people feel involved and energized. And it’s about the power of that dedication and hope that has led to the funding frenzy.

I’ll only be the 10,000th blogger to compare Obama to JFK. Not because of their charisma. Not because of their youthful energy. Not because of the groundbreaking nature of their campaigns. But because both have acted as mirrors that reflect the best of us and dare us to reach our full potential. Both as individuals and as a country.

The famous JFK quote “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” is echoed in Obama’s web site with “I’m asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about change in Washington… I’m asking you to believe in yours.”

So, this isn’t a new idea. Yet, there are so many example of people in power not getting it at all. Think Enron. Watergate. Iran-Contra. Yes, even Whitewater.

And that’s my problem with Hillary Clinton. She’s part of the political mentality that looks in the mirror and sees themselves. I beleive Barack Obama looks in the mirror and sees us. And we see ourselves in him. The best of ourselves.

And that’s personal.


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  1. 1 Amayel's Notes on February 8, 2008 said:

    I remember studying that night. The TV was on in my room, but I had the sound cut off to be able to concentrate on my Econ exam. The TV was on in the living room, the sound as well. So I heard the claps from the living room’s tv, looked up and saw this stranger speak and people standing up. I was amazed when I turned the volume up by his speech and even more by the crowd’s reaction. My sister and I wondered:” Who the H… is this guy?”. The day after all you heard was that same question raised in the streets, blogs and oh youtube was flooded with videos of the speech.
    I’ve been a die hard Obama fan ever since. Whether he had been around or not, Hillary wouldn’t have gotten my vote anyway!


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