I am crazy, crazy, crazy about Barack Obama. My boyfriend Matt and I go onto his website every couple days and watch videos of his speeches and blurbs about his stances on various topics.

I read a recent New York Times Op-Ed article about the Obama Phenomenon. Basically, Obama has been blowing away the skeptics with his message of hope, unity, and change. At first many of those skeptics thought Obama's message was naive and fanciful. But now--just look at what happened in Iowa. A mid-western state full of mostly-white people turned out to vote for Obama, a black candidate with a Muslim name and only four years as a senator under his belt. It's unbelievable.

Obama's creating something new that I'm totally enamored with: a political campaign of unity and positivity. He's encouraging politicians to speak positively to each other, to not get caught up in mud-slinging. He's concerned about the environment, health care, and mending broken ties with other countries. He sounds and feels authentic, real, passionate, and alive--a great mix of JFK and MLK Jr. We need a leader like Barack after the last seven years. It's so refreshing from the rhetoric of us versus them, good versus evil, that I've heard for the last seven, painful, years.

So now I'm more inspired about the political scene than I have been in years. Like so many other young people that Obama has inspired, I've decided to get more involved in politics myself. I volunteered to be our precinct captain, and I'm excited to caucus on Feb. 5th as well. I'll also be--if I'm in the country--volunteering at the Democratic National Convention here in Denver in August. I can't wait. More than anything, I'm just excited to believe in something again, to be moved by a leader my generation has never seen, but has desperately needed.

I'll end with this great quote from the NY Times article I mentioned above:

However this election turns out, Mr. Obama can be credited with a great achievement. He has drawn tons of people, and especially young people, into the political process. More than anyone else, he has re-energized that process and put some of the fun back into politics. And he’s done it by appealing openly and consistently to the best, rather than the worst, in us.

Obama '08!

Get out and caucus for your candidate this year! Just go to their website and contact a local volunteer.