Perhaps 'Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely' -- But Could Barack Obama Alter this Trend?

Yesterday afternoon, I read a long New Yorker article ("The Conciliator" by Larissa MacFarquhar) about Barack Obama's character and political style. The link had been forwarded by a Canadian friend who now assists a Member of Parliament -- but who also has a strong background in the arts; this friend's instincts (on art -- and politics) have often been deeply insightful. So it was with great curiosity that I began to read about Obama -- and my curiosity soon turned to delight.

I hesitate to write this (since in reality, hope and politics are deeply incongruous), but for the first time in my eligible voting life, I feel excited about a political candidate who is actually a serious contender for President. (As much as I appreciated Nader in 2000, I voted for him in idealistic protest, not political strategy.)

I rarely think of "morality" as a defining qualifier for political candidates; mostly, I have taken the corruption in stride -- knowing that many American political leaders will exploit power for their personal gain, with little regard for their constituents (who are either too disillusioned to track news of political debauchery -- or too preoccupied with their daily drowning: struggling to feed their families as they live month-to-month without emergency savings or basic health insurance).

I cannot fault Americans who see this and choose not to vote. Political debates can be uniquely depressing: white male millionaires in tailored suits with ivy-league educations pretending to know what America is -- with no real understanding of what life in this country actually feels like for the majority of us.

In this context, politically apathy seems like a sane coping mechanism. Nevertheless, it is a deeply unacceptable one.

Change is long overdue. It's time to embrace postmodern patriotism. Let's dare to really love our country -- and love it through honest appraisals of its faults and determination to reshape its future.

Let's elect someone who understands the principles on which this country was founded -- and who can reach humbly toward representatives of different political inclinations to ensure our country grows closer to its founding ideals.

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(Photo credit: Caricature accompanied a brilliant article in the Economist.)