"If I Should Die Before I Wake"....

[monmouth]

"If I should die before I wake"....thank you God/Higher Power for allowing me to witness, become actively involved in, and contribute to the most amazing presidential candidate and his campaign in America's history. I consider the fact that Senator Barack Obama happens to be bi-racial a happy coincidence. I'm thrilled he will be our first African American president. Historical yes, but that is not what he and his campaign are really about. It's been about us. The names Obama, Axelrod, Plouffe will now go down in history books, political science courses will never quite be the same, and the new code of ethics to be launched has risen far beyond that of our present-day fare. As a nation we became complacent and accepted less for far too many years.I was thinking how FDR and Eleanor would have fared in this day of YouTube and the internet. Both champions of the downtrodden, the disenfranchised, and those with little hope, their present-day popularity may not have enjoyed those benefits. Eleanor Roosevelt lacked a listener-friendly pitched voice and her voice rose higher as she became "fired up"...think Pat Buchanan, very tough to listen to. YouTube and the internet would not have served her well. FDR was an amazing man and politician, but he was an aristocrat, a patrician. He was brilliant but a sort of blusterer at the same time. For all of his good works, I doubt he would have survived the rigors of todays political venue.

It comes down to perception and appearances, unfortunately many would say, but that is the way it is in this, our time. The Obama campaign has set the new, very high bar in how to conduct a campaign. If you have the facts, if you have a brilliant candidate who knows those facts and has no mendacity in his heart, this cannot be hidden. It naturally flows through the words and actions of the candidate and the campaign's deportment. Smears, mud slinging and distortions are not necessary and those watching and listening become inspired. The watchers and listeners want to participate in this phenom, want to give him whatever he needs to continue and embrace his heart and soul. The amazing campaign workers, canvassers, phone bankers, etc. who have denied their own needs for our Obama inspire us in the hope and change that's about to come, mere thank you seem inadequate.

As his people, we want to guard he and his beautiful family from those who would besmirch him as if he were our son or grandson. Barack Obama has exuded that power and it cannot be ignored.The world of politics/government as we know it today shall be forever changed. The bar has been set so very high. Anything less than the brilliance that has been poured into the Obama campaign will be considered lazy, secondary, lacking, or inept. As a nation we will anticipate those speeches the Commander in Chief will give to us, we will finally be able to look forward to a State of the Union address to lift us up, make us proud and will make us whole again. Vocabulary, style, grace and intelligence will reign and the world will again look upon us with smiles and gratitude that we have finally gotten our act together and can again participate on the global stage as an adult.

Thank you for the privilege and opportunity to be a part of this.