yes we can!!

alright folks, for those of you as bummed out as i am about hillaryland's win last night in new hampshire, take 13 minutes to watch Obama's speech from last night.  of course, it is inspiring, it would be surprising if it wasn't.  if you want the shortened version, go to Obama's website and watch the piece they edited together.  

now, i also heard him on npr this morning responding to a challenge that he wasn't offering any new or specific policy proposals that set him apart from the other Dem contenders Clinton and Edwards.  his response was brilliant.  i can't find the audio over on npr, or the transcript, so let me paraphrase a bit.  he basically said, look, there are numerous policy papers and groups who work with all the candidates to put forward a progressive policy agenda, but what we need right now is not technical.  what we need right now is leadership, someone who can build a new and lasting coalition of power to get an agenda passed.  and that that was what his candidacy is really all about, new leadership, and in my eyes, actual leadership.  think about it, how does hillary lead when there is such a strong, albeit undeserved, anti-hillary sentiment?  and i don't even mean just among voters, there are colleagues of hers in the house and senate who won't work with her because her last name is clinton.  Edwards, who i really do admire and whose policies i do believe are the most progressive, is not trying to repair the divisiveness in the country.  that is not part of his rhetoric, just the opposite he is standing up as the one who will fight the powerful interests.  and while in my heart of hearts, i want the moneyed interests to get the hell out of policy-making, i just do not see that happening under our current capitalistic society.  in our society, money means power.  to change that requires revolution, not another rich white guy.  and the way i look at it is, if we can believe Obama's rhetoric of change, and we believe that he has the genuine support of voters--as opposed to the washington establishment--then i feel he is in the best position to change the bullshit that goes on in DC on the regular; namely: corporations writing laws.  while Edwards talks passionately about what the actual problem is, i believe Obama is the only one who will actually have the political capital to do anything about it.