special: obama on letterman

It's no secret that my allegiance lies firmly in Camp Obama, but even if they didn't, this show would have swayed me. There wasn't much that I saw that was new or different, nothing I'd consider inflammatory or scandalous, so I don't have a lot to say about what was said, but I can say that Obama comes across as kind, dedicated, very principled and well-informed on all his subjects. And best of all, he seemed comfortable and could keep up with Letterman's signature zaniness and left-field questions and comments. It was lovely. He's a person who can talk intelligently about things he really cares about, and that's such a nice change from any official public appearance Bush ever made, that it's very encouraging. And there's a little sass there-- "I don't know if you're aware of this, but I was black before I ran for President". My only criticism isn't really a criticism-- it's that he comes across as so sincere that he kind of makes me want to take him out and get him drunk so he can goof off a little more. It's almost... intimidating? Unnerving, maybe, that there's nothing bad to say about him as a person. Maybe that's why so many people can't see his charms; they want something that will make him seem like less of a good guy, something that will bring him down to a level they can deal with, instead of making him seem like an honestly good person-- which can make people who aren't that good and caring feel inadequate.

But it was a good hour, and I hope he does more like it-- Presidents are meant to take care of the people, and going on talk shows and just hanging out lets him sort of connect with the people who put him where he is. And let us connect with him. And it's awesome.