Barack Obama

Leadership That Unifies and Empowers

Today John Kerry announced his endorsement of Barack Obama as the 2008 Democratic Presidential candidate. The formal announcement was made at the Obama rally in Charleston, South Carolina. The news release cites that Kerry’s decision was based on Obama being the candidate who can “best unite the country and has the potential to create transformational change.”

The speech Kerry made was powerful. Listening to John Kerry in this setting, as opposed to seeing him on the Senate floor on CSPAN, brought back painful memories of the 2004 presidential campaign. But it also gave me hope. I saw the man that I had supported so strongly in 2004 standing alongside the man I am whole-heartedly supporting in 2008. The image was healing and hopeful. It was like John Kerry’s voice was strong and empowered again. Stronger than even before. Obama’s leadership has once again empowered John Kerry’s voice – and John Kerry is raising his voice in strong support of Obama.

Here is a quote from the speech taken from the NY Times article covering the endorsement:

Who better than Barack Obama to bring new credibility to America’s role in the world and help restore our moral authority? Who better than Barack Obama to turn a new page in American politics, so that Democrats, independents and Republicans alike can look to the leadership that unites to find common ground? … There are other candidates in this race with whom I have worked and whom I respect. Each of them could be president tomorrow. But I believe that more than everyone else, Barack Obama can help our country turn the page and get America moving by uniting and ending the division that America faces. He has a superb talent, as all of you know, to communicate the best of our hopes and aspirations for American and the world.

And here are some exceprts taken from a letter that John Kerry sent out today to his JohnKerry.com supporters:

At this particular moment, with our country faced with great challenges in our economy, in our environment, and in our foreign policy, and with our politics torn by division, Barack Obama can bring transformation to our country. With Barack, we can build a new majority of Americans from all regions who can turn the page on the politics of Karl Rove and begin a new politics, one worthy of our nation’s history and promise. We can bring millions of disaffected people – young and old – to the great task of governing and making a difference, child to child, community to community.

The moment is now, and the candidate for this moment is Barack Obama. Like him, I also lived abroad as a young man, and I share with him a healthy respect for the advantage of knowing other cultures and countries, not from a book or a briefing, but by personal experience, by gut, by instinct. He knows the issues from the deep study of a legislator, and he knows them from a life lived outside of Washington. His is the wisdom of real-world experience combined with the intellect of a man who has thought deeply about the challenges we face.

History has given us this moment. But we need to decide what to do with it. I believe, with this moment, we should make Barack Obama President of the United States.

Thank you John Kerry. Good to see you back again.

Update I: Here is an excerpt from a Daily Kos diarist, segseg, who was at the SC Rally, and heard John Kerry and Obama speak today.

Sen. Kerry gave one of the best introductory speeches I have seen. Full of passion, simple yet inspiring language, true conviction for the host he was to introduce. Simultaneously folk around us asked “where was this guy four years ago.” Kerry laid out why the naysayers were wrong. How Jefferson was in his twenties when he wrote the Declaration of Independence and how MLK was a mere 34 years old when he marched on Washington.

He conceded that youth inspires and the old politicians must make way for young new exciting passion and ideas. He knew Obama would end the swiftboaters and change tone which he tried to do four years ago.

(Then like Kerry, he went on a bit to long, but what are you going to do.)

Obama then spoke. I had seen most of the speech he gave before on TV, but live, the guy is a leader and a rock star.

I now believe hope alone can breed new ideas and ultimately success. I will not let my ex-favorite politician Bill Clinton to tell me to stop believing in Fairy tales. As the Senator put it, that is what the dream of a country from Sea to shining sea was to many: a fairy tale. But thousands upon thousands went west anyway. Putting a man on the moon: a fairy tale, but Kennedy inspired hope to go and we did.

The Hope to change and make things better–that is what is missing from our country. Bitter over 9-11 we have digressed into grumpy finger pointing doom and gloomers. It must change and change now. Obama can, we can.,,

Hoping the fairy tale of a greater America comes true…..

© 2008 Life is an Ongoing Process.