Why I believe Obama is the best candidate

On the eve of the Iowa caucuses, it is perhaps not too surprising to regular readers of this blog to hear me say that I am keeping my fingers crossed for a Barack Obama victory in the Hawkeye State Thursday night. For political junkies like me, it is refreshing and inspiring to see an awesomely talented young man of my own generation decide, against all the odds, to take on the political establishment of this country and run for President. Who would have thought just one year ago that an African American, junior Senator from Illinois would break all previous funding raising records (of either party) by raking in over $100 million in the 2007 calendar year, chalking up almost 500,000 individual donors and 800,000 seperate donations in the process. I am proud to say that I am one of those donors who contributed to Obama's campaign, multiple times.

In my lifetime the number of truly outstanding candidates that have offered themselves up to be considered for the job of President have been few and far between. I don't think too many people would disagree that Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton were probably the 2 most outstanding Chief Executives of the past 40 years. Beyond that, when you consider Nixon (twice), Ford, Carter, Bush 41 and Bush 43 you are looking at mediocre at best and diabolical at worst. Still, for all their charisma Reagan and Clinton had serious character issues.

In my opinion, Barack Obama is the most well rounded, well balanced candidate that Americans have had in a generation. His candidacy has been a lightning rod for a broad cross section of Americans who have become completely dissilussioned with the same old, same old brand of Beltway politics. Not since the campaigns of Gene McCarthy and Bobby Kennedy in 1967/'68 have we witnessed an energy, an electricity and a real hunger and desire for change than is personified by Senator Obama's run for the nomination.

As caucus day looms in Iowa, I am nervous and hoping for an Obama win. I believe he can do it.