A Brief Time Out for Ms. Dunham

I knew that Barack Obama’s grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, had broken her hip and was enduring some other problems, but it seems that things are even more grave than that.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says he’s not sure his gravely ill grandmother will live to see Election Day.

“Without going through the details too much, she’s gravely ill. We weren’t sure and I’m still not sure whether she makes it to Election Day,” Obama told ABC’s “Good Morning America” in an interview broadcast Friday.

Let me first say that I’ve never allowed myself to get sucked into the entire Historic Nature of the Obama Campaign theme as the be all and end all of who you should vote for. I do understand and appreciate that it speaks very well of or country that we would nominate (and very possibly elect) someone so far afield from the usual ROWG’s gallery. But at the same time we have to ensure that we are still electing the best, most qualified candidate.

The matter of Ms. Dunham, however, is an entirely different story. The woman raised Barack, but she is now 85 years old and seems to be in failing health. To come this far and not see the end of the story would be a bit more tragedy than I’d personally care to witness. No matter who you support or which side of the aisle you pitch your tent on, I hope we can all take a moment out from the political battlefield and send our thoughts and prayers out to Ms. Dunham for good health and a full recovery.