Given the opportunity, Obama will be a great President for all of America’s people. It is time out for divisiveness. Red and blue states,conseratives,and liberals,the right and the left. All of these divisive name was conjure up by those who wish to get rich off of America”s and bias. The greatest danger to America are those who preys on innocent citizen with planned bigotry. Amerca has grown beyond the demonization of Karl Rove,and the so -called right wing media. Let the United Staes of America move forword.

I know little about Obama but somehiw, he represents a number of unheard voices…will he stand upto it? Is he aware of it?

I hear from my friends in Europe how they long for Hillary to be our president – other countries’ perceptions of the USA probably aren’t the best factor in deciding our own fates. It is amazing that a connection to their continent inspires hope in the Ugandan people. Politics and politicians aren’t the savior of the poor and suffering. Thank you David Kuo for your insights and sharing your experience with us.

I read “Tempting Faith” last year and really appreciate the new perspective it gave me on politics. I’ve been following your Uganda trip through Carlos’s site and was surprised, but excited, to see that you’re blogging with them. Thanks!

Ooops. I didn’t mean to comment anonymously above.

I’m glad Obama’s popularity puts smiles on faces where you are, especially after what I read yesterday.
I keep listening to Obama and thinking how little he really offers. His promises are either vague beyond analysis, as in “change” or borderline BS like a inferior healthcare plan and repealing NAFTA. But there are these, too: His courage seems somewhere in between Clinton’s and John McCain’s.
But there’s this: He is humbler, more thoughtful and more inviting than our current President and smarter by a margin no election was ever won by. There’s this, too: You can’t elect virtue but you can vote it and Americans who vote for a half-African man named Barack Hussein Obama are better than those who won’t. I can’t imagine what would get me to vote for Obama if McCain is the Republican nominee, but should Obama win, I think I’ll wake up the day after election day and I’ll smile too.

Doug, you are right. There is something about the very fact that not only is he running, but he is making people feel as if they have a voice and the ability to be part of change. Perhaps, that is why Uganda is happy – someone so closely connected to Africa – only one generation away – says that there is hope for us all.
I’ve printed out position papers from Hilary and Obama – waiting to see them from McCain – but so fare McCain is even more vague. I’m finding areas of disagreement (OK – does it matter that I disagree on issues with Hilary and Barack), but many areas – from them both – that reflect a “fresh start”. Sort of like filling in the old latrine and digging a new one. Weird reference. I keep thinking that we are the ones who have to change. We’ve become drone like these past 16 years -so much paper, so many details – somebody has to know what they’re doing – the direct challenges of Barack to be different, to think in a new fashion – perhaps that is what attracts the young people. Hilary really does know how the world works in Washington and beyond – she is so smart, so driven – just not inspired. McCain – bless him – but he won’t inspire either. Guess the challenge for voters is to make whoever is elected live up to it. Be daring, help us sacrifice in some way so that we can know we are part of change. It’s definitely the place where history changes.

It could be that Ugandans are as inspired by Obama as a POTUS who will **pay attention to Africa** as they are by the fact that Obama’s father was African.
BTW, seems a little unfair to compare Obama to McCain on the courage scale. If physical and emotional courage was the only quality a POTUS needed, I’d vote for McCain too.
I don’t think any American alive can outdo him in that particular department.

Doug – if you think that he offers little, read “The Audacity of Hope”. It’s full of reasonable and insightful policy plans on a number of important issues. Or look at his congressional records – not the voting records, which rarely tell you anything, but the bills he’s written and sponsored and the bills he’s chosen to cosponsor. There’s an enormous amount of substance there. He makes flowery speeches because flowery speeches inspire people and win campaigns, but I support him because he has much better ideas than anyone else.

Jonathon, that’s fair. I should read not listen. I did vote for Obama in the California primary, by the way. I might just be puzzled as to why.

Doug, I was struck by many of the specific plans he offers in “The Audacity of Hope”. He gave a rather specific and dry economic outline yesterday after warning the audience that he was “Taking it down a notch”. The crowd listened well and asked intelligent questions. However, it was in Dream of my Father” that I first understood this man was different. No messiah, no savior – just a an who has dealt face on with the issues of being a young African American man, of not having a father, of being so bright it was painful to live as a teen and being so angry it seemed there was no way out. He dealt with it, found God as a young man after being mentored by pastors as he organized the poor in Chicago. Perhaps it is best heard on CD.