Don't ask why

[tahnan]

I've been watching C-SPAN's coverage of the DNC since 4 pm, when the convention started today. (In fact, I watched a little bit earlier, but gave up when C-SPAN started interviewing Randy Thomas, the announcer who gets to say things like "Ladies and gentlemen, the senator from the great state of Michigan....")

So I've seen a lot. Senators from Colorado, California, where have you, presidents of the NEA and something else, I don't even know what any more, a 12-year-old Little Orphan Annie clone who founded Kids for Kerry, Ron Reagan (who didn't mention Kerry, but told everyone to vote for stem cell research in November), and now Teresa Heinz Kerry, whose Portuguese accent is beautiful, and who's not at all a bad speaker.

But, man. All I know is that I'm voting for Barack Obama, and I'm not even a resident of Illinois. Maybe I'll write him in for representative or something. He's a really, really terrific speaker. I was dubious when the Wikipedia article about him reported a rumor that his giving the keynote address at the convention meant that he was being groomed as presidential material. Then I saw him speak, and, wow, yes, he is presidential material.

Vote Obama.

(Update: I should have mentioned that the singing of the National Anthem in Tohono O'odham was really moving. Also: transcript of the Obama speech; C-SPAN has a video of it, and a video is better.)

Comments

[tayefeth.livejournal.com]

eyelessgame has been saying that for a while...

[eyelessgame.livejournal.com]

Yep, I have. We'll be seeing a lot more of him.

He's awfully young, though. He needs to be president in, oh, about sixteen years. :)

[in-parentheses.livejournal.com]

Ooh, he's all young and cute, too! And we need more elected officials with fun names.

[ojouchan.livejournal.com]

Hmm Yes, I just like the fact his name is Obama. hehehe

[leighjen.livejournal.com]

Well, and it might help him in Alabama...

"What was his name? 'Bama? Hell, yeah! Roll Tide!"

Though he may lose some Auburn votes.

[kirbyk.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes.

I caught this last night, and it was an amazingly wonderful speech. This man has Charisma. He's got a great story, an even better message. He just wowed me.

I predict, in the best case world, an Edwards-Obama ticket in 2012. Wouldn't that be fun?

[wesleyjenn.livejournal.com]

I still don't know how I feel about Edwards. My parents live in North Carolina, his home state, and everyone there hates him. He's been a terrible Senator they all say, caring very little about his state and speanding most of his time in DC. Granted, this was because he chose to start running for president immediatly after his election to the Senate but still.

As for Obama... I just saw a replay of his speech on CNN. This guy better run for president some day because he is AWESOME. I would vote for him in a heartbeat.

[fuldu.livejournal.com]

Nyeah, nyeah. I've seen Obama speak in person. He's on the board of University of Chicago's Public Policy school, and he gave our matriculation address (there's a word for it, I just can't remember). If he had lost the primary (which I'll grant would have been sad), I'd have been in his Voting Rights course at UofC Law School in the spring. I've heard it's excellent and that both the law students and the public policy students missed out by his deciding to devote more time to his campaign and less time to his guest professor gig.

Not that Obama needs your out-of-state votes (he's technically still running against the former husband of Jeri Ryan who was forced to withdraw from the race after accusations that he forced to visit sex clubs with him were raised), but Chicago has a reputation for being flexible about silly things like place of residence in its voter registration process. I'm sure I could put you in touch with some people if you really want to cast a vote for him.

[fuldu.livejournal.com]

edit: I think my favorite thing about Obama is that he remains this popular despite the fact that all of his skeletons have been out of the closet for years. I mean, he published a set of memoirs in which he admitted using cocaine, and nobody has even really bothered to bring it up, either in the primary or in the short-lived general election. "I used to use cocaine, I don't any more. Next question."

I do question whether that tactic would play quite as well in a Presidential election.