A Sense of Common Purpose: A Future of Hope instead of Fear

He did it! Not only did Obama deliver an amazing speech- if CNN is correct, he wrote it himself. Is that even possible these days? Do politicians ever actually contribute their own thoughts, their own words, their own hopes, dreams and fears? Well, I don't know about most politicians but Obama certainly seems to. For all those wondering- I did NOT start out jumping on the "HOPE" train- maybe hopping on and off at times but definitely not jumping. Even I, who often overflows with unfiltered idealism, was a cynic. Who is this guy and why does he think he can reform Washington? Why hope only to be disappointed by yet another politician who fails to deliver on his promises?

Well, after tonight's speech, I'm not just jumping on the HOPE train, I'm leaping! Leaping for joy that is. Even Amy Holmes, a Republican strategist and CNN contributing reporter, said that Obama "turned the tables on McCain." Amazingly, he did this while still being genuinely respectful. I never understood before tonight how one could disagree with someone so passionately but act compassionately towards them.

But for me, the big selling point was the emphasis on both personal and shared responsibility. We can't do it alone nor can we rely on government to do everything for us. This reflects a genuine understanding of the complexity of the problems we face. Nobody can achieve success on their own, neither can a country. I'm more confident than ever that not only can Obama handle the challenges of being the next U.S. President but also that he can compel all Americans to take a hard look at what they can do to help bring about positive change.

Favorite quotes from Obama's acceptance speech:

• "On November 4, we must stand up and say: 'Eight is enough.'"
• "Now, I don't believe that Sen. McCain doesn't care what's going on in the lives of Americans. I just think he doesn't know. " (How could the man with 7 houses possibly know what's going on in the lives of most Americans? I think I'll take a chance on the man who only recently paid off his student loans, thank you very much!)
• "I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a 10 percent chance on change."

To read the full transcript of Barack Obama's acceptance speech, click here.

P.S. Apparently the political pundits don't think Obama was as respectful to John McCain as I did. Well, it was high time for the Democrats to finally bring on the fight so I'm not exactly complaining!