It’s great that he’s running but…

…I still won’t vote for him.

My friend Erin gave me a book for my birthday last year (March 2007). She had been a fan of Sen. Barak Obama and wanted to introduce him to me. Perhaps she thought that she could convert me. I read the book and I found him to be likeable but not a person that I would support for political office and I told her as much. Since Obama is pretty much guaranteed to be the nominee for the Democrats, I imagine that she is quite happy now.

I’ve got plenty of reasons why I won’t vote for him in November but perhaps I’ll go into that after the conventions and up until the election. The reason for this post is because I am finding the silver lining in the situation. I think that this is a proud moment for America in general.

For the first time in American history, a black man is tantalizingly close to becoming the President of the United States of America. A man, who if he lived during the formation of the republic, may have been considered only three fifths of a man. The cynicism that only a white man can take the White House can now fade away with good reason. Whether it is a woman or a person of color, that glass ceiling that Hillary referred to may soon be broken. The enlargement of the political arena to include more diversity beyond a token presence is something to be proud of. To me, that represents a step forward.

I just have to hope that Obama’s policies (if he wins) doesn’t set me two steps back.