Obamamania

Things are looking up for my boy. He's blown Hillary out of the water recently, and though she trounced him in West Virginia, it didn't make a dent. At this point, there's really nothing homegirl can do to bolster her weak case for the nomination. Plus she's $20 million in the hole. And on top of that, the Edwards endorsement. Aw, man, both of them were madly feenin for Edwards to swing their way after he dropped out. Not counting Bill Richardson's act of treachery, lol, that's got to be the sting the smarts the most.

In a way, I feel sorry for her. She was the assumed nominee when this thing got started. I believe she worked hard to get where she did. Then a young, scrappy, upstart with a funny name turned it upside down. The more I think about it, the more amazing Obama's rise really is. I know there are legitimate doubts about him, but I really believe he's ushered in a new kind of politics. Instead of the usual hardball, he plays smartball. And it's working. Just look at the way he's raised record amounts of money online. An overwhelming majority of his donors are not old-money, machine-invested, big-time donors. They're small $25 donors culled from ordinary Americans who want to be a part of the political process and his success.

But like I said, there are legitimate concerns about him. Let's see if I can address a few that were brought to my attention:

1. Rev. Wright and 20 years of association. Why did he only recently disavow him?

When Obama first began his association with Rev. Wright, he was a man in search of identity. He was trying to connect with a community that he was a part of by virtue of having a black father, but that he wasn't a part of through experience. Associating with Rev. Wright and the church and being a community organizer in that area helped him gain that experience, identity and maybe even sense of belonging. Perhaps Obama knew Wright was incendiary. But his incendiary tendencies, though they cannot be excused or affirmed, must be understood in context. I don't need to give a recap of American history for anyone to have an idea of where the anger that fuels Wright's most controversial statements comes from. I think, in the end, that Obama decided the good Wright had done concerning his family and bettering his community outweighed the bad surrounding his extreme stances. If Obama had've categorically disavowed him and cut off all ties upon entering the political arena, that would have been purely politically motivated. He still cared about the man even though he repudiated his statements. I could say the same thing for many people I care about. I guess that's why, though unfortunate, the Wright fiasco isn't a reason for me to discount Obama. In addition, I think Obama did an awesome job explaining his ties with Wright during his speech on race in March in Philadelphia.

2. His wife, Michelle. What was her Princeton thesis all about?

Granted, I haven't read the entire document, but she basically stated that as an African-American at a predominantly white institution, she was made to feel like an outsider and not really allowed complete social access in that environment because of her race. I know that idea may make some people bristle, but, um, it's not something she made up. I, too am an African-American woman who attended a predominantly white institution. Heck, had I tried to go a few decades earlier, George Wallace would've (tried to have) stopped me. Sometimes experience is the best explanation. Ever been the only black person in an honors class and were made to be the spokesperson for your entire race? Ever sat staring at a t-shirt featuring Nathan Bedford Forrest (founder of the KKK) worn by someone at a meeting for a social organization? Ever had to hear a tirade from a parent "concerned for her daughter's safety" because of a potential black roomate (I was the Resident Assistant, not the potential roomate.)? Those are just a few examples.

My experience at UA was grand. I wouldn't change it for the world. They were great, memorable times. The Man didn't grab hold of me and pin me down, preventing my progress in society. But I know what Michelle Obama was talking about.

3. Obama seems to have trouble delineating policy beyond "hopefulness." Is that a concern?

I would like to hear more policy-specific ideas from my boy as well. But maybe he's being smart by not offering concrete plans that he may not be able to deliver on if elected. People forget that there's a process to enacting policy. You can propose to do everything under the sun, but the question is, will Congress pass it? Maybe he does need to speak to policy more in his stump speeches. But his website gives a treasure trove of policy specifics in his Blueprint for Change.

I think Obama has shown himself to be an imperfect candidate in a lot of ways. I think he knows he could have done things better concerning the issues that raise legitimate doubts about him. But he's resilient and I think he's learned from them. That's what we need in a president. Someone who can learn from mistakes instead of one who blusteringly forges on in mistakes.