Reply #29: What should matter is what Obama believes

[Tom Rinaldo]

and whether he would make a good leader for America. Speaking personally, his association with Pastor Wright doesn't in any way tell me that Obama can't be a good or great President. I have seen great potential in Obama ever since I first found out about him in 2004.

I have radical associations throughout my own political history. Many fine but potentially controversial leftist friends who I am proud to call my friends. These are all people who gave much of their lives to working for good causes. However I understand that both they and I could and would likely be red baited by both the center and the right if I were running for a high political office.

When it comes to running for President it shouldn't matter if a person is gay. It shouldn't matter if a person is an aethiest, or if they did drugs in their youth, or if they are not married. But you can't become President without winning the election. Some people have a harder time getting elected than others because of who they are or what they did previously in their lives.

I am not pleased by this reality, but it does no good to be blind to it either because ultimately someone is going to win and someone is going to lose in 2008, and if they lose for the wrong reasons they still lose.