Breath The Air

For those who are saying: " I guess I will hold my nose and vote for the President"...
"This was a radical realization for me. Never before in my political memory had I known a leader whose behavior was so admirable that I might actually like to emulate it. There'd been leaders in my lifetime whom I was fond of, or impressed with, or amused by -- but none whom I had ever admired as a role model for intelligent, dignified behavior. I closed my eyes and imagined what it might be like to have somebody in the White House whom one could look to for an example of how to remain calm and thoughtful in moments of crisis, stupidity, or sorrow."  Full aritcle by Elizabeth Gilbert
I am the same age as the President, give or take a month, and that may be a part of it. I can remember my father, a WWII vet, and career Air Force officer, displaying much admiration for John F. Kennedy, who was closer to his age. He never supported another Democrat after that, but he loved JFK.
We all admire different people for different reasons, probably more linked to our own character and personalities than anything else, but what Ms. Gilbert so eloquently states holds true for me as well: Never in my life of political observation, have I known another high office holder, who I held as much respect for as this President....and I have been paying very close attention.....
Frankly, at the time Barrack Obama was introduced to the wide world of American politics, in his speech at the Democratic convention, I had been paying such close attention, that my cynicism knew no bounds. I was watching his speech with a friend of mine, who actually had the foresight to point out: "That guy is going to be President someday".  The same thought had crossed my mind, in a sort of "wouldn't it be nice if the West Wing was real" kind of way, but I scoffed loudly at the thought. I had been so burned by the American electorate at that point: (Reagan's election and re-election, George Bush Sr.'s election) that I thought it necessary to point out to my friend that: "That would be nice, but this country is too stupid to elect him." When my friend asked why I thought that...I shot back "Because he is black". It was that simple. After a lifetime of watching a parade of white millionaires run for office every four years, the most articulate, intelligent, thoughtful candidate I had ever seen, was in my mind, un-electable, because of the color of his skin.  My faith in the electorate to do the right thing was so low, the possibility of them actually doing it was to me, at best, a fiction.
I am not saying my faith has been restored by his election, but he certainly hasn't done any thing to change my opinion of him.
The only difference is, they almost always won their battles on the West Wing.
In any case, I don't have to hold my nose, I am going to breath deep...