I retired from political comment here out of necessity more than a year ago--I was too busy with grad school and grade school last year, and my level of bile rose dangerously high any time I watched network or cable coverage of any speech or candidate, and I canceled my subscriptions to The Nation and the Times and the Post. I haven't been the devoted politico junkie I used to be in some time.
But I tuned in last night for Barack Obama's speech. I read his book, I've sent him cha-ching, I've cast off my former unwillingness to back Dems because of him, so I figured I should see what he had to say in Denver.
I was moved. Obama doesn't come across as artificial the way HRC or other Dems do. He actually DID leave Harvard and go work in the slums of Chicago instead of making bank as a lawyer. I can respect a brother with those kinds of cajones. Anyone willing to forego six figures to organize poor folks to fight for their rights can say "This election is not about me, it's about you" without causing me to puke. He pleased me by mentioning GBLT rights. I liked the fact that he was aggressive about defending himself against bogus charges of anti-Americanism (and he better keep it up. There are adults working in my school who believe Obama is going to turn Booker T. into a madrassa day 1).
Do I worry about his associations with Chicago School economists? Hell yeah. Do I worry about Joe Biden sitting in the VP's office with his tongue deep up several credit-card company CEO's asses? Hell yeah. But I think Obama is for real.
My students wrote letters to him for homework. I gave them the option of writing to McCain too but only a couple did. I am sending their letters to both candidates.
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