President Obama

Brian beat me to the punch, but I'll weigh in, anyway.

I like Obama. I suppose back in January '08 he was my top choice-by a hair, over Biden and Clinton. And I've been more impressed since then.

I've now voted in 5 presidential elections and I've voted for the Democratic Party candidate all 5 times, with varying degrees of enthusiasm.
-1992 was more in opposition to G.H.W.B.
-By 1996 I liked Clinton quite a lot.
-2000 I was very enthusiastic about Gore. I'm glad he won.
-2004 I didn't care much for Kerry, but I loathed Bush.

This year I was enthusiastic for Obama, but not nearly as much as I was for Gore.

The Obamamania still amazes me, though.

The mania from the African American community is completely understandable. I would feel the same way.
I also wholeheartedly understand the elation that comes from the end of the Bush Years (Bush League?). I voted against him for governor of Texas, for president, and for president again, each time with more loathing.

But I can't quite catch the craze. As I've said before- I think on this blog, but I'm not sure- there's no way to know if someone is qualified to be president. I think the only two presidents who've come close to proving it before-hand were Washington and Eisenhower. For a job this big, there just aren't too many opportunities to prove you can do it, until you are it.

Still, I've very happy to have President Obama. I get a kick out of the anguish it causes right-wing whackos, and I feel confident that he won't swing the government way out to the left, as wished by the nuts on that side. The hopes they have for him are nearly as nutty as the fears on the right. I like him because he seems both idealistic and practical, and because he's a deft politician.

In short, I guess he's as well-equipped to preside over the liquidation of the U.S. as anyone. I just hope he increases funding for foreign language education, so I can communicate with my future employers and landlords in Mandarin.