Barack and Hillary

Someone commented the other day that I didn't post anything about Barack Obama winning the delegate race and clinching the Democratic nomination, and, no, I didn't. It felt anti-climactic to me, as he was the mathematical victor for a long time now, and my trepidation in the last few weeks has been about whether Hillary would do enough damage to guarantee a John McCain victory in the fall.

Watching Hillary has been a bit sad. Her clinging on to the nomination has been like a car wreck, or like a crazy person that you just can't turn away from on the street. It revealed an insulated disconnection from reality that I see in our President today, a characteristic I could never support in a leader. Couple that with her Rovian election tactics and some race-baiting by she and her husband, and I found her to be pretty reprehensible.

Yet, today, she gave a speech that blew me away. She was gracious, graceful, and gregarious, unequivocally throwing her support behind Obama while maintaining her own dignity for running a tough and historic race. And I, being one of the more forgiving souls out there, am back in the corner of a woman who has done a lot of good in her life. When she had that moment when she co-oped the Obama "Yes, we can" phrase, and held her clenched fist up high, I got a little misty-eyed.

(No, still don't want her to be President. Or Vice-President, for that matter. But a Prime Cabinet position sounds like a great idea, especially with keeping the the Lincoln Team of Rivals idea that I'm envisioning for Obama's Cabinet.)

And, so, I'm back again feeling optimistic about th epolitical landscape. 2008 has brought with it strong candidates for President on both sides, a stunning change from the last couple of elections. Finally, I have a Democratic candidate that I can unequivocally stand up behind, and, finally, we have a Republican candidate who - if, dare I say it, he wins - is, seemingly, a moral and heroic human being in a lot of ways. But the Democrats feel like they're coming together, and I am confident they'll win. The VP sweepstakes are going to be real interesting this time around, as well.