"On a frigid Springfield day in February 2007, Barack Obama stood before 17,000 supporters 'in the shadow of the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln once called on a divided house to stand together,' and announced his candidacy for President of the United States.Today, exactly nine years later, President Obama returns to Springfield to address the Illinois General Assembly to talk about “what we can do, together, to build a better politics - one that reflects our better selves.”
"It had been less than three years since he became a national figure and he'd spent much of that time building an organization that would spread his message and raise money through cutting edge technology and smart analysis of what it would take to win..."
We can't help but appreciate the values displayed by Mr. Obama and his family throughout the past nine years. Especially at a time when the current election is chock full of bombast, dirty tricks, racism and sexism, the contrast between our president and the 'wannabees' is striking.
And we applaud the classiness shown by David Brooks of the New York Times, an opponent of many of the president's policies, in praising Mr. Obama's character and leadership:
"Obama radiates an ethos of integrity, humanity, good manners and elegance that I'm beginning to miss, and that I suspect we will all miss a bit, regardless of who replaces him."
For a compelling history of the 2008 campaign, as told by news media, politicians, and ordinary people, see King's Dream: Barack Obama Becomes President of the United States of America.
