Message from Tasmania: I just had to share this here

[ralbertson]

An old friend of mine who I've never met (yeah, I know, it's an internets thing) pinged me on ICQ to give me her reaction to watching Senator Obama's SC victory speech via webstream:

He will wake the silent voices of the disempowered and as his campaign gathers momentum, he will see more and more and more turn towards him. The youth, for whom this will be their first opportunity to vote in a presidential election are hanging out for Obama to be their president. He was remarkable in the way he addressed every complaint against his hopes and dreams for an America to be proud of.

Yeah. *That's* what we're talkin' 'bout, y'all!

And that voice is being heard even on the other side of the world. Because the friend who wrote to tell me that lives in Tasmania -- an island off the coast of Australia, the mainland she was born and bred on. She is not nor has she ever been an American citizen, yet this election and this candidate is seen as so important even that far away, she felt compelled to write me and tell me how she felt when she heard Obama speak last night via the web.

I think that says a very big lot about what we're doing here and who we're doing it for, folks...

GOBAMA!!

[dwahzon]

1. I like being able to hope again. n/t

[YvonneCa]

2. Yes...

...hoping again. :)

[Inuca]

3. Moving

It may not be the most important thing, or so some would say, but idealism and even symbolism DO matter. Silly as it may be, if it comes to pass, I KNOW I will cry on inauguration day.

And while we are on the topic of exotic places: just think how this will play in American Samoa! Stupid joke, I know :blush:, I just could not resist. For those that may think that I went suddenly nuts, that's in reference to the Billary email "statement" yesterday.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

4. As another Australian who closely follows US politics

I think your friend very adequately sums up my own feelings about Obama and my own passion for an Obama presidency. I went in to this primary season supporting Edwards and still respect him and admire him immensely. But as I've watched Obama and his campaign over the past few weeks, I cannot adequately convey how impressed I've been with him and the campaign he has run. He just radiates this whole aura of passion, vision, enthusiasm and idealism that is just so inspiring and wonderful to see and which we haven't seen in a long time

I know many people here are going to take this the wrong way but I see in him what I saw in Bill Clinton sixteen years ago. A fresh face with courage, passion and vision who has the potential to set the nation aglow and to restore the hope and idealism that so many people have lost after a long period of Republican mismanagement. A visionary statesman who will leave the nation and the world a much better place than he left it. A political leader who will leave behind a legacy of peace, prosperity and hope

The nation and the world are crying out for a leader like Obama. I think it would truly be the dawn of a new era for America and the world. It would be like having JFK or Bobby in the White House -glad to see Caroline Kennedy and Senator Kennedy think so as well