Why are people so fascinated by Obama?

I got an email this week from one of my former students and tennis players from Manor High School, where I taught and coached shortly after I arrived in Texas. She was more than my student, she was my right hand in running my tennis team that first season and continued to work with me for several summers as my "assistant commissioner of tennis" in our summer league. She was responding to the news that I had been elected a delegate to the Texas State Democratic Convention for Obama.

"Okay so I have to say this and don't get mad or anything but I don't get why people are so fascinated by Obama... I understand why republicans would want for him to win the democratic nomination but I don't see why democrats would waste their vote. He seriously is the ticket for Republicans to regain the presidency within 4 yrs.. He has no experience!!! But whatever, its your vote so have fun at the convention... I will stick with Hilary and pray she pulls it out!!!"

Well, good question from someone who I respect and care about. So here goes:

You do realize that traditional "experience" will only take you so far. I'm a gringa from Baltimore, but I direct a very successful ballet folklorico program, because I know how to organize and lead and I work with a gifted choreographer and dedicated student officers. President Lincoln, probably the best president we have ever had, except Washington, had one two-year term in the House of Representatives as far as "experience" in Washington went. Obama looks like a veteran in comparison.

Originally I ranked Clinton above Obama in my choices. If you will remember, I was an active campaigner and contributor to Biden's campaign. By the time Biden dropped out, however, Obama was the only choice for me--this after following the campaign day in and day out extremely closely and watching the reactions of the candidates in many situations.

Besides being a gifted orator and an inspiration to millions of new voters, he handles himself with ease and honesty AND he seems to surround himself not with loyalist hold-overs, but rather with people who are "experienced" in their area, who will speak truth to power, and then-- he actually listens to them and and considers their opinions. I suggest you read Doris Kearns Goodwin's A Team of Rivals about Lincoln's cabinet to see what I mean. People think Obama reminds them of Bobby Kennedy. I think Obama reminds me of Lincoln more than any other President.

Additionally, once the election is won (and Obama consistently does better than Clinton in polls against McCain), we have to govern. If we do not govern well, then the Republicans will be back in power for more than four more years. This is the Democratic moment. We need to seize it and we need to keep all these new Democrats inspired. Unfortunately for Mrs. Clinton, she is married to Bill and she has a shit load of baggage she's still carrying around and will carry right on up the White House steps. Republicans hate her guts. (I don't hate her guts, though I can tell you, as a loyal Democrat, I am still bitter about Bill Clinton waving that finger at me and the entire nation and lying to us after the Super Bowl, when he said he did not have sex with Monica Lewinsky. If he had not brought that into everyone's living room, he would be in a much higher standing with a lot of us.) It doesn't matter if the hate is rational or not. As long as Republicans hate her, then Republican members of the House and Senate are going to have a really hard time voting for her initiatives, because if they piss off their constituent bases at home for "siding" with the Clintons, they are going to be facing primary opponents in their home districts.

On the other side of things, with many independents and even some Republicans interested in Obama and with him bringing sooooo many new people into the process, and with his lack of "experience or baggage" or whatever you want to call it in Washington, it will be much easier politically for Republican legislators to cross lines for key votes.

That is why I am supporting Obama.

And that is before we get into Vietnam vets, like my father, who are supporting Obama, but will go McCain over Clinton in a heartbeat.

Think about it, Chica. But vote your conscience.

So, do that everyone. Vote. It is our right. We need to exercise our vote, because just like the muscles in your body and the connections in your brain, the less they are exercised, the more quickly rights start to slip away.