I have been following the 2008 election very closely. I check political websites daily at work, home, and I watch the news every night. The rise of Barack Obama is perhaps the most important news story of the year. I doubt there is no other story or person who has captivated the attention of the American public to the extent of this man. Centering his campaign upon the idea of "Change" he has successfully managed to cultivate a massive network of supporters who are highly motivated to his cause. Barack is in many ways the ideal candidate. For instance he is undeniably charismatic, holds an apparently clean record, and embodies a movement that focuses less on political affiliation. I would define Obama's run for the White House as an Ecumenical movement, meaning that it will gather as many people as it can under a single tent. Claiming to be the candidate for Change, I think that many people are falling prey to his one-liners, large crowds, and rock star persona. Knowing that Americans do not like to read the fine print (i.e. the sub-prime loan crisis), I think that he has done a masterful job at limiting his mistakes and squashing any criticism. To this point, Obama is running a campaign for the ages and has energized the Democratic party to heights not seen since the days of JFK and RFK. We have a long way to go until November and there is even a possibility that Obama will not be the Democratic nominee. But it will be a fascinating race and I am excited to see how it will all pan out. There is a old saying, "The mud will always come out in the wash." In politics, this could not be truer and only time will tell.
