Barack Obama is not my candidate, but he is racking up some victories of late. Everyone expected him to win the Potomac Primary trifecta, but the margins are surprising.
I have had my problems with Senator Obama, and I currently support Senator Clinton (after initially supporting Senator Edwards). And I still support Hillary, very much so.
But I just finished watching Barack Obama's speech in Wisconsin. And I have to say, I was not only inspired, but I was impressed.
It may seem a small thing to Obama's supporters, but I liked how Barack explained that he knew "hope" in and of itself is not enough. Hope is crucial, but we have to fight, struggle and work incredibly hard to meet our challenges. The problems our country is currently facing are massive, and the solutions are fraught with difficulty.
Obama made a few remarks that stood out in my mind. When discussing healthcare and economic issues, he said (paraphrasing) "If it were easy, these issues would have already been solved." I liked the humility inherent in that statement. When he remarked (again, paraphrasing) "Exxon-Mobil made an $11 billion profit this quarter and they won't just give that up," I liked the plain characterization that this is a problem on its face, and that it's going to be a hard fight to fix it.
Credit where it's due. It's an old saying, but I believe in it. Senator Obama has done an incredible job in this campaign so far. His speech tonight was stunning in its clarity. Not for the inspiration (we all know Obama gives good inspiration), but for the what why and how that he included. I made an effort to listen, and I think there is more to him than I originally thought.
Now, don't get me wrong! I'm still supporting Hillary Clinton to the Nth degree, and this thing is far from over. But Barack Obama impressed me tonight. I've always said, I'll support the Democratic nominee, with no exceptions -- and I've always meant it. But the difference now is, if our nominee does wind up being Obama, I don't think I'll have to plug my nose.
So, to Senator Obama and his supporters, congratulations on your impressive victories this evening. To Senator Clinton and her supporters, we have a lot of work to do.