Yes!

We have grabbed this url and blog title with the intention of supporting the Barack Obama campaign for re-election to the Oval Office in 2012. We do this with the conviction that he is not simply better than the alternatives, but that he is the right man to lead us toward a viable future for the country.

It is now our responsibility t0 create an alternative to the deluded belief in American exceptionalism which has led us into a misguided foreign policy and disastrous wars; to the misplaced faith in the infallibility of the market economy and deregulation; and to the long period of neglect of education and other vital social services. The bankruptcy of these beliefs and the policies they justify is now apparent in the multiple crises the country now faces. The stubborn, bipartisan impasse that has stalled all progress toward solutions is further evidence that we need a man in the Oval Office who has a demonstrated capacity to listen, to make decisions without haste and in view of all available facts, and to persist calmly despite all obstacles.

We do not agree with every action and pronouncement of Obama or his administration. We have, indeed, many disagreements. But we can disagree on issues without immediately throwing support and trust to the winds. Nor do we wish to idolize the man. He needs our thoughtful criticism. But we see in Obama a man who is clear in his perceptions and fair in judgment. We see in him a man who understands the use of power in a way that allows for changing forces in the world; he shares the strength of the proverbial reed, whose nature is to prevail over shifting winds by responding to them, rather than the proverbial oak, uprooted by its own unbending stubbornness.

We also see in Obama a man who sees beyond current contingencies, beyond the chattering marketplace of bias and opinion, beyond the press of immediate necessities. If we want the change we voted for when we elected him, we'll vote for him again in 2012. Given the chaos in which we have embroiled ourselves as a nation, it will take a lot longer than a single four-year term to get there. We need Obama for a second term.