On Obama's First Year

I've been asked why I don't blog much any more. The basic answer is simple... My guy won! Much of my ranting in recent years has been largely therapeutic. Lost in a sea of overwhelming 'conservatism', I felt as if the voice of those with views similar to my own were being irrationally dismissed. Knowing I was largely speaking, or yelling, for myself - it felt good to yell. I knew I would not change minds or hearts. I knew that the whole thing was really an exercise in self-indulgence. Now that my own ideal candidate is in the White House, my need for yell-therapy is greatly diminished. Hey, those who've heard me in person get... shall we say 'intense'... would much rather I yell in writing than in their faces! 8)

As President Obama approaches the end of his first year in office, I just want to stand up and say that, despite news hype about his base support leaving him, this liberal could not be happier with President Obama's performance. That's not to say I'm happy with all the results. I'm just a realist who understands that the massive machinery of government moves slowly, political capital must be spent wisely and the power of the presidency is limited by design.

In the final analysis, it is not about left/right, liberal/conservative or even right and wrong. It is about what we value. It is about how we prioritize that which is important to us in life. From the moment I finished 'Audacity of Hope', I knew this was a man who's values were nearly identical to my own. I bask in the knowledge that my voice is being heard because Barack Obama's voice is the closest to my own of any political figure in my lifetime. This book is required reading for all who honestly seek to understand before passing judgment.

I'm content in the absolute knowledge that President Obama is doing everything in his power to change the world according to those shared values and I will continue to support him in any way that I can.