Why I'm Happy

Some reasons I am happy Obama will be president:

1) It has been a long, long, long time since the world has been this excited about the result of a US presidential election. Many foreigners are inspired by Obama, and feel that he is the leadership America needs. No matter what he ends up accomplishing, he has already injected much needed legitimacy back into America. How can a terrorist convincingly complain of the evil Western infidels when we have just democratically elected a man with the middle name Hussain as president? I am glad that Obama can inspire the world, and hopefully America can use and benefit from the legitimacy his presidency will bring.

2) Obama is extremely intelligent. He outperformed the Clintons and the Republican machine to go from nowhere eight years ago to the first African American president-elect in US history. Clearly, he has talent, and the campaign has tested him in many ways. He has been consistently cool headed and rational. He has relied on the support of 200 foreign policy analysts in informing his world policy views. He surrounds himself with brilliant men like Paul Volcker, considered the best Federal Reserve Chairman in recent history. I do not know what Obama can ultimately accomplish, and I do not know what he will try to accomplish, but I know that he is inspiring, and I know that he is rational. To me, this is extremely important.

3) I think that there is something really important about our having put a black family in the White House. I think it will do something to this country to see that, and I think it will be positive. Hopefully, this is a huge step in leaving the toils and troubles of racism behind us.