Being over 50 and too often cynical about politics and the direction of America, I found myself growing more positive and more inspired to get involved as Obama's campaign continued. I had almost given up after our electorate put W in office again even after seeing the damage created in his first four years. Being a university professor, I was also incredibly disappointed in my beloved students who seemed to not take the issues that so affected them seriously enough to research them or vote based on them. The stats of their demographic in voting continued to slide downward. Then comes Obama. I first heard him at the Democratic convention which nominated John Kerry. I was moved to tears. I don't cry very often for any reason. But hope is moving when you are almost out of it. I have since been moved to tears at several of his speeches, particularly the Race and Politics speech. Inspiration mean enabling. You inspire me to action and I'll take it from there.
Obama is ciriticised for ONLY being a great speech-maker. For ONLY having ideas. Well, what else would you want in a President? An inspirational leader who can think on his feet and deliver amazing oratory that is quoteworthy for generations. That is how diplomacy can work. Just think about being around someone who can inspire you to do the right thing. What a power. In addition to being inspirational, though, Obama has proven he can pick the right people to organize an effort to accomplish the dream. Look at this incredible grassroots use of the internet. Picking the Facebook inventor to help was as natural as it was genious.
Obama draws on everything I believe is right in the issues and the motivation for his positions. He inspires me to be part of the change, to take any talent I can and use it for first getting him elected and then being the involved citizen who can help clean up this mess we both inherited and helped create through our past apathy and overconsuming.This is a time of reckoning on all fronts. First we need this inspirational leader who can keep us headed for the right change. Then we need to take that inspiration and make all the small and large changes that will save our planet and our future generations.
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