So. He’s in.
Barack Obama’s theme — the underlying core message — is so radically different from what we’re used to hearing from politicians, I can’t help but respond to it. It’s a visceral reaction — a balm to a wound I didn’t even realize I had.
Of course, how he intends to implement his visions are another matter.
Health care, foreign policy, immigration reform — those aren’t trivial issues, and while I’ve seen him put his verbal finger smack on some problem definitions, that doesn’t mean I’ll be as excited about his proposed solutions.
But I’m willing to listen.
Could he have waited until he had more time and experience before trying for the White House?
Yes, he could have. We’d still be a damaged country, and his approach to politics would still resonate.
But I think America needs to hear — and talk about — the larger message he’s trying to deliver; that no matter how wide the gulf looks between left and right or red and blue or black and white, we all have a stake in this country. We’re all Americans who have shared values, dreams, and goals.
That we’re not so different after all.