Posted by JumpyPants
Thinking about how stupid and venal Palin is and how power-mad and venal McCain is -- really two people who surely embody the worst of not just American nature, but of human nature -- I can't help but reflect on our guys.
Joe Biden makes me proud to be a Democrat. He is an up-from-under, blue-collar-blooded success story, a man whose work is a reflection not just of his life, but of the lives of his family, his parents, and of the best that America has always striven for. Joe Biden is truly an eternal member of "Main Street" -- read about his daily life, his daily trips on Amtrak, his relationships with people who aren't members of Congress, and you will read about a man that spends every day working hard to stay connected not just to other human beings, but to his own humanity as well.
Barack Obama is a community organizer. Think about that: the man who will be our next president is, in his bones and on his resume, a community organizer. And on Chicago's south side no less. Most people who will vote for him wouldn't want to spend a lot of time on the south side of Chicago, because it's a violent, rough place, a place where despair has taken up a heavy roost -- but Obama understands the deep truth that the deepest muck can grow the most beautiful flowers. He transformed despair into hope -- not just in that neighborhood, not just across this nation and around the world, but in his own heart. Barack Obama is about the realest deal we have probably ever seen get this close to the highest office in our nation. The fact that he will win based on what millions of others have done is not lost on him for one second. He is a representative of every American, even those who hate and fear him, and he knows that, he takes it seriously, because he is, in his life, in his words, in his actions, in his heart, a deeply enlightened human being who is determined to never lose his humanity. Just think about the man for five seconds, and try not to be inspired. I find it impossible.
These guys, our standard bearers, are the best of not just our country but of the whole human race. They make me proud to be me.