I know it sounds corny, but I DO have hope...

[ColesCountyDem]

I was an unabashed Edwards' supporter, until he withdrew. Once John withdrew, I had to look at the remaining candidates and make a VERY difficult decision: Who do I support now? . While I did spend quite some time reconciling my personal beliefs with the stated positions and personal 'charisma' or 'electability' of the remaining candidates, my choice was somewhat simplified by knowing then-Senator Obama personally. He didn't just start preaching the 'politics of hope' when he began running for President-- he began doing so when he was running in the primary for US Senate. It seems so long ago, now...

I was an 'undecided' precinct committeeman way back then. I had resolved to 'hear everyone out' before I committed myself to supporting one candidate over the other, and anyone who knows me knows that when I finally make up my mind, I am as immovable as a granite boulder-- and twice as obstinate! ALL of the primary candidates were solid Democrats, so I had no qualms on that score. :P Any way...

Everyone running ( and their dog, or so it seemed at the time ) came down here for every function that could possibly have more than 10 Democrats in attendance-- literally. I heard ALL the candidates out, several times, and eventually only ONE stood out; he did so on the bases of intelligence, 'drive', 'charisma' and the ability to inspire. That candidate was then-State senator Obama. Although I'm a natural skeptic/curmudgeon, there was something about Barack that just caused a room to 'light up'; he didn't just appeal to my political instincts, he inspired me, folks! He made me believe that not only could we do better, but that we MUST AND SHOULD do better!

He made a believer out of me then, and I remain a believer today. Call me naive...

:shrug:

BELIEVE, y'all-- BELIEVE!

:) :hi:

[babylonsister]

1. How and why did you miss the primaries here?

Belay that, maybe you were smart to do so!

:fistbump:

[ColesCountyDem]

2. Perhaps I was...

:hug::hi:

[ColesCountyDem]

4. I didn't know about this place back then. n/t

[johnaries]

3. Yep, same here.

but after Edwards dropped out, and afer Hillary ropped out, the more I listened to Obama. And the more I liked what I heard. If I knew then what I knew now, I would have supported Obama from the beginning.

I know it's not very popular, but I like the fact that Obama actually LISTENS to opposing viewpoints.

He is the first President in many decades that I actually trust.

[ColesCountyDem]

5. We're accustomed to making political 'sausage', here in the Land of Lincoln...

Frequently, that involves listening to, and often reaching a political 'accomodation' with people you normally wouldn't invite into your home...

[ColesCountyDem]

6. Woo HOO-- An 'unreccomend'!

Glad to know that the Freepers are reading this, too!

:P

[ColesCountyDem]

9. A kick for the Freepers. n/t

[ColesCountyDem]

12. Another 'unreccomend'. You GO, Freepers!

Just can't stand a positive Obama post, can you? :P

[Better Today]

7. I do too. My brief story.

I happened to buy some equipment to do projects related to real estate. By the time the equipment arrived, it took a few months, we had gone from a soft market to the crash. I couldn't do anything to get any real estate related professional to even consider spending another penny. So I've been doing the part-time, temp, anything work (no college degree, never needed one before, I'm old also) to pay the bills.

Now, I'm at my first ever not paying the mortgage. I have a triple AAA credit rating so I'm hoping its just a one month thing and I'll just say it got forgotten to be mailed. So, I'm very close to the edge.

Anyway, I've been watching the real estate news, stats, etc. very closely, I still have all the equipment, the website, everything I've kept running this whole time. Just didn't do anything extra costly like marketing which I figured would be a waste of good money when realtors were hurting so much, and I'm just not that kind of mean. I ended up getting a dozen projects a year, but not enough to come close to paying the bills.

Well, three weeks ago I decided to seriously reboot the biz. I contracted a lovely young lady to do commission sales about a week ago. Today was our first day of activity, for lack of a better word. She got on the phone and I hit the road and did some scouting for projects and hanging door hangers.

So we compare notes at the end of the day. She was very well received, which is like white to the black I was receiving 2.5 years ago. Now she is a saleslady, which I'm not, but even so, I'm not that bad. Also when I was driving around I saw considerably fewer "Price Reduced," "Short Sale," and "Foreclosure" signs than I have in my meanderings the past couple of years.

Yep, I have hope. It does look like people are relaxing quite a bit, open to considering spending (but not committing yet), and everyone (even the average person here in this very red state. . . . ie even republicans), are noticeably hopeful about the future, even if they won't admit when polled.

[ColesCountyDem]

8. Real estate is beginning to move here, too.

Like you said, a lot of 'price reduced', etc., but sales are trending up, after a year+ of nose-diving and svereal months of 'flat lining'.

[Expedite Trucker]

10. I too am filled with hope and proud again to be an American, our worldwide respect is back

now just to get the troops home and the economy rolling.

[ColesCountyDem]

11. I can't even express how proud I was when...

.. the President and First Lady went abroad, and were received by huge, adoring crowds! How long it's been since THAT happened!

:)

[Cresent City Kid]

13. I first heard of Obama as he took the stage at the DNC in 2004

I've watched the conventions every year since '76. (I only watch the GOP convention for the 5 seconds it takes to realize nothing new is being said.) The Democratic speeches are fine, some stand out, others don't though most are what I want to hear.

Obama's speech floored me. Before he was finished, I got the sense that, "hey, we can win this thing!", which we almost(actually) did.

In the 2008 primary, at first I was worried that it wasn't his time. As it developed, I became more comfortable with the notion of him taking on the GOP in the general election. By the nomination I was convinced, not that everything would be perfect, but that the destruction of the country would be stopped and reversed.

Six months in, I'm not totally satisfied, but pleased. I don't think he has to wait for his big legislative battles to be settled before taking a stand for gay rights. He seems to have a sequence worked out, with gay rights near the bottom. If it all gets done in 4 years, I would call that a success. I pity those in the alternate universe where McCain won.

[ColesCountyDem]

14. I trust that there's ' a method to his madness '.

He is absolutely NOT even REMOTELY 'anti-gay' or ambivalent about equal rights for GLBT people; I have questioned him in-depth on this point. The President envisions a day when we can stop talking about '(fill in the blank) rights', and simply talk about equal rights. I've heard those words from his own mouth...

[Cresent City Kid]

16. I agree, he is not anti-gay

I personally think he's being strategic, not ambivalent. I have no doubt that he stands for equal rights for all. I apologize if my post made that unclear.

[ColesCountyDem]

15. Thanks for the recs, folks. n/t

:)