Obamania

Donklephant has a good discussion on why Obama is inspiring such admiration.

My thoughts: Obama exudes hope in a way few candidates can — not just because he says a lot of pretty things but because there is something fundamentally dynamic about him, he’s not moribund like so many of our politicos. People believe he can change America because he himself seems changeable, in the very best meaning of that word.

Or maybe it is the race element. Cynically speaking and using a purposefully borad brush, whites see Obama as the great guilt healer, as if electing him president would bring a kind of wound closure to our nation. That’s certainly too cynical, but he does represent a post-racial-politics America where color is only one aspect of identity rather than the driving force behind who we each are.

When I read his “issues” section of his website I think “very typical liberal.” But when I hear him speak — there’s something powerful. Either he’s one hell of a charlatan or he’s one of those “right men at the right time” we Americans have proven so adept at finding throughout our history. There’s a leap of faith required in supporting Obama. Where that leap takes us remains to be seen.