My Hope

Webster’s Dictionary defines hope as desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment. While that sounds nice and mostly accurate I don’t think words can accurately capture the true nature of hope. In reality hope is conceptual and circumstantial – it can everything from skeptical to euphoric…sometimes both. So, with hope in my head and heart, I voted for Barack Obama.

I’m still not entirely certain what President Elect Obama is going to do, but with the penchant politicians have for boldly stating that if elected I will - fill in the blank. Coupled with the reality that they usually don’t have the ability to actually - fill in the blank, perhaps the uncertainty of Mr. Obama’s course is, oddly, the most honest a politician has been in a long time. His personal demeanor and mastery of oratory made people that had often felt disenfranchised feel that they had a voice and that someone was listening. And let’s be clear, this was not just Democrats or minorities or young people – He reached out to those people who occupy the middle ground of American politics who have tired of the status quo. Without these people, no one can win the presidency - a fact many candidates have forgotten as they pander to the fringes of their respective parties. But I digress – the bottom line; more people across the board were engaged in the process than have been in a very long time and it was not John McCain who peaked their interest. Senator McCain deserves and has earned our national respect. He is a hero and a life-long public servant. Unfortunately he allowed his campaign to be run aground by the same political operatives that have given us the most unpopular president in over fifty years. Mr. McCain didn’t trust the people. He ceased to be a “maverick” and just became the same old horse. So, the people, with a measure of hope (somewhere between skepticism and euphoria) elected the man who gave them a fresh look and feeling to the presidency – a chance at renewal.

There is a portion of the President Elect’s speech delivered on Election Night that the press has largely ignored. It perhaps says more about Barack Obama than anything else he said during the course of the campaign. I resonated with me and I hope it will with you;

… And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.
As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.
And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.

I have always believed that the most important job of the President of the United States is to be the embodiment of us all, to represent us all in our own nation and too the world. By reaching out in his moment of victory, he proved he had earned the hope I invested in him with my vote.

My Politics

Last night I had a vivid dream that I was in a car with Barak Obama and John McCain. It wasn’t nearly as bizarre as it might seem, and perhaps it’s to be expected when you use your television as an alarm and The Today Show becomes the accompaniment for your R.E.M. cycle. Anyway, remarkably (but not really surprising) they had a great time together, agreed about much and both spoke with such passion that I felt better about the upcoming election. And then I woke up.

So far this presidential election has been typical. As primary candidates Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain spoke with very few details and were moderate centrists. After it became clear that each would receive the nomination of their party, they began to unveil their plans for the country, ramp up the common Democrat vs. Republican rhetoric and move as far left and right as their personal comfort level would allow. Finally we are now forced to endure the most irritating aspect of any political season – commercials. I don’t care who you’re voting for - these advertisements are, universally, misleading at best and malicious lies at worst. I truly hope no political advertisement determines your vote but, I fear for some they represent the sum of their knowledge about the candidates and issues.

This has been a typical election cycle for me as well. I don’t feel either candidate is for me. I want another choice. In my voting life, I have only once voted “for” a significant candidate. I have never voted “for” a presidential candidate. I have always felt like I was choosing the lesser of two evils – not an inspiring choice in the bunch. Perhaps it is because no candidate has ever really seemed to speak to me. Each seems to be talking to or about someone else. I’m not rich or poor. I’m fiscally conservative and socially liberal. I don’t think the government was designed to manage or would be good at managing much of anything beyond the common defense and the federal legal system and let’s be honest they mess those things up with a fair amount of regularity. Both candidates want to be more involved in my life than I want them to be, albeit for different reasons. Both candidates purport to be able to change or affect policy that, as President, they would have no direct power to change or effect. So how do I choose the person best suited to lead our country? It seems like a crap shoot.

So, back to my dream…I’m not saying a vague memory from my dream life will entirely decide my vote but, I think it offers some insight. At base these two men are not as different as their handlers and parties would like us as voters to believe. Mr. Obama is not the only visionary and Mr. McCain not the only maverick. Both have set themselves apart and demonstrated intellect, charm and determination. Both have made hard choices in life and given of themselves to their country and the people. Neither should be judged by the standard of the other. Opportunity is uniquely personal. Mr. Obama could not have Mr. McCain’s experience and vice versa. I’ve always believed the best leaders surround themselves with smart people and listen to them. I believe the most important role for the President of the United States is to represent us before the world. Sometimes that means being a diplomat and sometimes that means being a bully. The President gives his life, for the term of the office, in service to The Country, The Constitution and The People. So who is best? I’m still not sure but as leaders they are distinctly different. Mr. Obama is an eloquent man of vision and ideals. He sets a lofty goal and it’s important for our country to reach and achieve. Mr. McCain is a fighter, a bulldog who argues and bargains and has accomplished much by leading the opposition and going against the conventional approach. Who is the best man for the job? I’m still not sure, but my dream has reminded me that whoever wins on Election Day will be my President whether I voted for him or not. And I don’t think we’ll be in bad shape either way.

My First Blog

I'm 42 years old and I'm having a mid-life crisis.

No, I'm not chasing young girls or buying fast cars. I'm not going back to school or changing careers or in anyway wishing I could reinvent myself. I'm happy, generally speaking. I love my wife. I get to do what I love for a living which is both a blessing and a curse. I have great friends and many interesting acquaintances and I feel as though I am well regarded. I have enough money, not that I wouldn't want more, an adequate home and a nice car. So what's the crisis?

Well, it seems that the relative normalcy of my life adds up to an unpleasant reality - I am irrelevant. Politically, socially, financially, environmentally, psychologically, I exist in the great gray middle of things. I'm a white, protestant, non-religious, sane, average sized male. Statistically, I'm a bowl of shredded wheat - Good for you but uninspiring. Oh, I'm not alone. I see me everywhere. It's hard to image so many of us can be so ignored but it seems we are. So how did I get here? How do I change my circumstance? How do I reverse my disconnection from the world in which I live?

I think I know the answer. I must connect with others, others who feel the same disaffection for the world. This will prove difficult for me because you see I don’t like people. Don’t misunderstand me – There are many persons I like and love, but people are an annoying, irritating mass that drive me nuts. But perhaps it is the mass with whom I must learn to live and to connect with in order to regain my relevance in the world.

I don’t know for certain but that is what I hope to find out as I explore my life here on these pages. I hope you find it interesting or instructive or maybe entertaining. Mostly I hope you find it relevant.