It’s been a long ride to this moment in time. Just one year ago, I remember holding my breath, hoping that Al Gore would still take the plunge and run again. HIllary looked like a shoe-in but I was still hesitating, unable to really get excited about her. I missed Bill, and Hillary had the same last name but just didn’t convince me. I don’t remember what I thought about Barack then.

I held onto Al for months, but even after his Noble Prize, there was no talk from him, about a run. I began to watch the early debates featuring the string of Democratic hopefuls and I liked Joe Biden, Bill Richardson and yes, Hillary.

Gradually the pack thinned out and for the New York Primary I threw my support to Hillary and I did like her, but I wondered still about her authenticity. She sounded great, but would she stand behind her words? Smart and experienced, but was she desperate to get to back into the White House? And then Bill went out on the campaign trail as her bull dog and his role as bad cop seemed inappropriate.

Barack started looking better to me. It was a hard fight. Yes, the Clintons came to the table with a genuine passion for the rights of minorities, but the threat of a Black man threw them off and Bill went too far and forced Ted Kennedy’s hand to break of his neutrality and throw his support to Barack, and that was probably the turning point. I listened to Caroline as did many others and I thought about her father and my beginnings in politics with him and I started to turn.

Finally in March, when Tuvia and I were back in Israel, we sat together in our hotel room and watched Barack’s speech on race on You Tube and that was the moment for us. I had never heard a political speech like that, taking on the race issue head on.

I was on board and the campaign took on a new dimension for me now that I had a candidate to believe in. I do believe that Barack Obama will make us look better in the eyes of the world community and will work hard to create an agenda that will fit with what I believe in and want to see in America.

What a climax last night as Barack took the stage to accept the nomination officially in front of 75,000 supporters. He left me breathless as he stood up to all the naysayers. Tuvia and I had moved away from all the commentators on Tuesday night, switching to CSPAN for an pure view of convention to hear all the voices, without reporters, desperate and bored, chatting about nothing.

It was a great moment as we held hands, drank diet coke and listened to Barack, poised and brilliant bring his case to us. We are on board.

John McCain, BRING IT ON!!

 Kevin just posted this winning poem on his blog, just as I was thinking and writing about the Hillary/Barack run for president.  Check it out if you haven’t read it on Kevin’s site. I loved listening to it with Kevin’s voice and use of music.  Click the podcast.

I found out last week that a poem I wrote during my OnPoEvMo project last year (one poem every month) garnered second place in a writing contest hosted by our Western Massachusetts Writing Project. The poem is about race and prejudice, and trying to investigate why our skin makes us feel so different from others.

Here is the poem and here is the podcast:

Like Birds in Flight

I can’t crawl inside your skin
I’m claustrophobic with the fingers of history wrapped around my neck
and, besides, your black doesn’t fit with my white.
We clash.

Or so I have been told, not in so many words, of course, but in so many looks.
Which leaves us both here with this sense of intense misunderstanding

and missed opportunities that come from rage at the ways of this world.
No one ever told me that you were always the same as me,
with the same dreams,
the same heart,
and you, with your ancestors on an timeline that intersects with mine only in pain and infinite sadness,
you look so different from me — on the outside.
Your black doesn’t fit with my white.

I often wonder how it would be if we had a covering of feathers instead of skin
and you were to become haloed in a rainbow
with hues casting deep shadows that I could just swallow up like worms on a summer day after the storms have cleared away,
filling me whole with experience and reality,
and then maybe — maybe — I could finally feel your light, your strength, your sense of being you.

Just you and nothing more.

Your black would fit with my white.
We would no longer feel tethered by this solid Earth
and instead, as one, we would rise to the clouds on the upward draft of hope
and avoid the fears that keeps us rooted so firmly in our own minds.
I look at you.
I don’t see you.
Instead, I only see skin.

Kevin Hodgson

Often now I have CNN on TV as background music and the political analysts seem to be calling this nomination race for Barack. If he wins the vote that’s fine with me but it seems like they are coloring the race by calling it so vigorously for Barack.

What about the days when we didn’t know for sure who would be the nominee until the convention? But the race began so much earlier than usual and it was crazy because Hillary was running strong for months and now she’s not. Were we just wasting time and energy in those early months?

I am still not jumping on the Barack bandwagon. I still feel that she’s the best person to be president and I’m sensitive to the underdog. If Barack were in Hillary’s shoes I’d probably be more supportive for him.

Yesterday when I had lunch with a friend who voted for Bush at least once, probably twice, she let me know that she’s excited about Barack, not only voting for him in the NY primary, but she has contributed to his campaign twice. Small amounts, but money early on in the race and will probably send more down the line.

She’s impressed with hishonesty and his ability to speak well. And she’s impressed with his wife Michelle. And she HATES the Clintons and went crazy when I began to defend them. Interesting. I wonder how many more there are out there like her?

Again, it shows us Barack’s clean slate. Does he have skeletons in his closet that will appear down the road? So far he seems to be doing everything right and is he stronger than Hillary to stand against McCain. That is an issue for me. The Clinton skeletons are very visible. The 8 years of Bill were wonderful for me, but it wasn’t 8 perfect years and Hillary is not Bill and will take hits for things beyond her control.

So, the race continues, but I wish it was more unknown.

I remember when I working for Eugene McCarthy against Bobby Kennedy. When I was ready to move to Bobby’s side it was too late. I worry about that risk for Obama. I hope his security is effective.

Okay, that’s enough.  I’m not going to be polite anymore.  I believe that we do live in a democracy and even if I don’t want to see John McCain win the presidency with someone even more conservative than he is, it’s okay if you want to vote for him it’s your right.  This is America.

BUT…

I am not going to tolerate people in my sphere of influence refer to Hillary as a Bitch. A bitch!  Now it was a man who referred to her as a bitch.  I let it go.  What constitutes a label like that?  Is there a male counterpart?  I’ve heard that John McCain can be very demanding of his staff.  Anyone call him,.. a bastard???  No, he’s a man.  He should be the boss. Hillary, she’s holding her own, standing up the males in the race: BITCH!

And what about the Clintons?  “Are they going to take over the country for another 8 years?  Haven’t we had enough?”  NO! We haven’t, I haven’t!  Eight great years under Bill and yes, there was Monica and what else?  Economy? Education?  World Respect???? How did those 8 years look as we take a good look a Bush as he completes his 8.  I say Come Back Clintons.  I welcome another effort to work on health care, education, global warming and win back respect with the rest of the world.

I spoke loudly tonight in my support of Bill and Hill,  but I let the bitch comment pass over me.  Not again,  I promise.  And you know I still respect Barack and if he’s the nominee I will be defending him around the table against McCain.

But for now I’m holding strong for Hillary and let the games continue!!!

The race continues…I voted for HILLARY and as I entered the voting booth, not a hesitation.  I respect her experience and her courage as a woman.  I still like Obama.  I was glad that both of them won states last night, but I was rooting more for Hillary.

I am usually sure about my choice but I’m more sure this year, that I don’t want a Republican, not MCcaine.  And I want the best candidate who can beat him.  Simple?  Not really.  I hate this contest to see who is most conservative.  We don’t need a conservative.  We need a leader and that’s my dilemma.  If I were in my 20’s, even 30’s I would probably not just supporting Barack, I’d be working for him just like I did when I was in college.  Muskie, McGovern etc.

But I want someone who has some real experience in the real world of political decision making.

What I like about Obama is his blank slate.  I want to believe that a politician can have passion and vision and honesty and courage and can inspire.  Have you listened to him?  To the song by the Black Eyed Peas based on his speech? Wow.

I voted for Hillary and I want to believe in Barack.  I think this is a great dilemma.  I love seeing kids excited about politics.  It reminds me of my relationship with JFK when I was growing up.  Sure Kennedy had a dark side, like Clinton, but he was a leader.  We need a leader with vision, who provides inspiration.

Wow, I’m still undecided.  I like them both and I’m willing to hold off on my campaign contribution until I see the winner.  I loved voting yesterday .  I love being an American.  I love the whole process and I want a Democrat back in the White House.