I don't know how to name this blog entry, but it's about Obama

Whew! I almost missed my flight back to the Bay after a jolly good weekend in the surrounding areas of LA. Well, I didn't go to Universal Studios like I always wanted to, to try and get a cameo in the next big movie, but I went partying in Hollywood. The other big pieces of news other than my trip to Tinseltown is news of Hurricane Gustav (I thought all hurricanes had female names?), transfer deadlines in Europe, and the national political party conventions in the US. Needless to say, Obama has been on my mind lately.

I really like Barack Obama. He's a breath of fresh air, he's the kind of leader I adore. He is inspirational, he gives great speeches (would be nice if he threw in a couple of Latin quotes once in awhile), he is young and ambitious, he is a writer, he craves change for the better and he seems concerned about the average Joe and Joana. When I grow up, I want to be like Obama. Totally. We all know he's black (like me) but he also has an African father. As if Kenya couldn't get lucky with great performances at the Olympics, now they have a chance to claim they own a piece of a man who may lead the free world. I mean, Obama is also a baller, how couldn't you like him?

I don't like to talk about US politics, but Obama has made me more interested because of his messages of hope, change and belief. When I think of Obama, I think of the great leaders who've come before us, Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela, MLK, Bob Marley; people who have caught the imagination of the masses for good causes. To me, Barack Obama must win this upcoming election, cuz I'll like to see a 'great guy' win out, for once. A common man who came from an ordinary background and is doing extraordinary things; a success story. I have claimed that sometimes I wished I grew up in a village. You know, then I'll be the village boy who braved the odds to get into quality schools, do some awesome things with zero 'connections' and inspired people from similar backgrounds to be better. Being born with a purple spoon in your mouth, growing up in a wealthy family and first-class system and ending up in Harvard or Oxford is boring. We want something 'exciting' but something uplifting as well.

On my flight, I finally tried reading Obama's latest book, 'The Audacity of Hope' which I have owned for a while now. I made it through the first chapter in the midst of a beautiful lady seated next to me and finally I settled on doing sudokus throughout the flight. Hmm, priorities. I shall finish the book eventually, but there is no timetable. However, I strongly believe an Obama presidency would be awesome for our world and the average Jack who had to sell food on the street that I never was. There is a timetable for an Obama presidency, it has to be sooner than later. McCain is a nice guy, he chose a beauty pageant ish governor from Alaska as his running mate to draw votes, but Obama MUST win. Because people like Obama come once in a while, and even if Obamania doesn't last forever, when we do benefit from it, it shall be documented for a long time to come.

Yes we can. Fired up and ready to go. Change we can believe in. Obama is about all of us, he is just the propeller. I claim to be conservative, I am no Democrat or Republican or communist or capitalist or some other 'ist'. Where have these 'isms' gotten us? We can't stay polarized, we must be able to settle on the best option for the times we are in. I believe the better option is Obama, and regardless of who we support, or if we even care, Obama should be a role model for all of us.

PS: Listening to 'The Last Jesus' on Kirk Franklin's 'The Fight of My Life' album.
PPS: Oh, you should see this video of Ghana's Blakk Rasta for his 'Barack Obama' song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L85YF0pyPH0

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