why i support obama

ok, here's a quick list, thrown together this morning:

1. participation: he is getting people involved in the political process, many participating in primaries/caucuses who have never even voted. citizen apathy is more dangerous to our country than terrorists.
2. principles: he understands how to state a principle, then apply it to various situations.
   
3. national big picture: this is a man who has spent real time, as opposed to making gestures, working with and on behalf of those on the bottom of our society and who can also "bark with the big dogs." he gets it.
   
4. international big picture: he gets it that we've thrown so much away and with our current attitudes/policies are fanning the flames of terrorism rather than addressing them. he gets diplomacy. he understands the appropriate role for our country in the world -- enough of the rogue elephant policies!
   
5. smart people: he has smart people around him, advising him
6. war: he was opposed from the start. i'm working on my judgmental attitude, but i don't yet understand how anyone's support for it could have been anything but either a political sell-out or stupidly blind (lots of us regular people were not fooled by fear-mongering, the WMD argument nor by the 9-11=Saddam drumming). Neither selling out nor being duped in a matter this important is evidence of good leadership ability.
7. race: his presidency might allow us to finally take an honest look at the role race and racism still play in this country, something which will continue to dog us until we face it.
   
8. campaigning: he is trying (even when he fails) to demonstrate that a "decent" campaign can win. note that not all criticism is "attack."
   
9. by and large, his proposals make sense to me even when i disagree, so he doesn't seem to be simply going with what's politically expedient.
10. he has real leadership skills -- he inspires, educates, explains, listens, convinces -- he treat us like intelligent people who care, rather than fearful sheep -- he actively reaches out to those he disagrees with -- he is playing to our hopes, dreams, aspirations, rather than to our fears.