I was going to reply to 6thgen's prodding with something similar to the above. I have read a lot (but not all) of Obama's platform, and I wish he were a little more centrist to be sure. But the presidency requires leadership and judgment. There is something electric about him, and I do believe he would use his obvious intelligence for good not evil. :roll: Who he would surround himself with is an obvious and important question.
I think Hillary on paper is the most logical candidate (next to McCain, though on paper McCain is also too old), and she has been a very effective senator by all accounts. But despite her centrist views, I frankly don't trust her -- which is disappointing, because I would like to want to vote for her. If that makes any sense.
What's interesting is that while Obama is highly intelligent, he is not intimidating or unapproachable. Al Gore was such a policy wonk that he just could not compete with W's easy manner. We all know where that got us. Kerry is wonkish too but obviously had other problems running his campaign. Obama is not only intelligent but has that gift of connecting with people, which I suppose is the main reason I consider him "exciting and fascinating."
Excellent question pea. Newsweek had a cover story on him about 6 weeks ago that made a compelling case for him as an independent candidate. It was written if I recall by editor Jon Meacham though, and while I have loved Meacham's reporting on religion (and keep meaning to get his book), I'm not sure I like the tone of the magazine as much since he took over. I felt like he was trying to set the agenda, instead of just providing the analysis that I look forward to.
I think a lot of folks are afraid to support Hillary because from personal experience it does turn a lot of people against you. Yes, just for endorsing Hillary, and not accepting their constant put downs of her. IJS....it's creepy. 
