I love Barack Obama. I doodle his name on my notebooks. I would babysit his children for free. I would wash his car if he asked me to. I am from Illinois, and I couldn’t be happier that he gets to be from my state. This man is not only the brightest star in my wayward but much beloved Democratic Party, he is one of the best politicians I have ever seen. Ever.

I am pretty cynical when it comes to politics. Six years of Bush-Era Doublethink will do that to a person. Bush makes me all at once sad, angry, and frustrated beyond measure. He is a bad man. Dishonest, intellectually lazy, mean spirited, and small. He is an egotistical, pandering, right wing zealot, who if left to his own devices would destroy this country and everything that makes it great. When I hear him or any of his slimy minions speak I get a sick, putrid feeling in my stomach. I would trust a crack smoking degenerate over this man and his depraved entourage. They are awful, awful people, and are not under any circumstances to be trusted.

Not to labor the point.

I say that to say this: When I heard Barack Obama speak at the Democratic Nation Convention, I forgot about all that. It was the only time, during what was an extremely nasty campaign season, that I actually felt something other than disappointment and anger. I was, in a word, inspired. I got chills. I became, in one moment, a lifetime Obama Supporter. I felt hopeful, and positive, and good about my country. I have never heard the values of the Democratic Party expressed so well. It appealed to everybody, Republican and Democrat, and was impossible to argue with. Even Rush Limbaugh, in his angry, hateful little way, could only be positive.

Rush, in his July 28th radio broadcast:

“It was a good speech. I mean, all right? There — there’s no question — the guy has got it. Now, he may be Left as Mao Tse Tung, you know, with his — with his policies, but his speech last night [was good].”

Mao Tse Tung. What an asshole. Throwing that little bit in there is like shitting on a birthday cake. Regardless, even the king of the right wing bobble-heads only had positive things to say about it.

So when I heard that Barack Obama was considering a run for the White House, something I think this country desperately needs, I was understandably excited, if for no other reason than that it would be a joy to get to listen to him talk for about eight months. With that in mind I thought it might be nice to replay the moment when Barack Obama came to national prominence.

Part 1

Part 2