Obama Wins Iowa, Won Me Over Long Ago

Obama wins convincing victory in Iowa — chicagotribune.com

obama.jpg

This is my candidate. This is my choice for leader of the free world. This is the man I would be proud to call President of the United States of America.

Yes, it’s ridiculous that a year or more of campaigning in just a few “early primary states,” and one night of essentially backroom kibitzing in little meeting halls all over one Midwestern state puts a stamp of approval on just one person in each party, with dwindling hopes for others unless they do well in a small Eastern state. By the time I get to vote in the Illinois primary February 5th, it’s likely that the choice will have been made for me, and that “the democratic candidate” will be a foregone conclusion months before the convention that officially “nominates” him (or her).

I’m just damn happy that Barack Obama did so well in Iowa, because he’s been my first choice from the moment I ever saw him, on some news broadcast around the time he was running for the Senate against Jack Ryan Alan Keys. And I hope that he continues to do well. He’s the first political leader in many, many years that I can honestly say inspires me to be a better citizen, more fully engaged in my community and country.

He’s my senator (so’s Dick Durbin, who’s gained my respect this year). And I hope that in a little more than a year, Barack Obama will be my President.  I also hope he’ll have a Congress willing to roll up their sleeves and work with him and one another to get things done and not waste endless time and ink and videotape and tax dollars on filibusters.

[tags]Obama, President, Senator, Illinois[/tags]