hi my name is chris makarsky

So he’s basically invincible

I was planning to write about my disgust with Hillary Clinton’s recent campaign tactics. Understanding that politics is a dirty game, I think she’s playing dirtier than necessary, especially for a candidate that has a statistically impossible path to the nomination. But then I saw the speech, and while it’s no secret that I’m already supporting Barack over Hillary, I’m more convinced than ever that his leadership is exactly what we need.

Because holy crap… that was a damn fine speech.

He eloquently addressed the controversy surrounding the relationship with his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, and what’s more, he confronted a dangerous topic with amazing tact and courage while raising the bar for race discussions. Certainly, Barack didn’t ask for this opportunity: some of Wright’s more inflammatory sermons surfaced last week, were quickly converted into sound bite form, and a few “God Damn America” videos later, the potential for disaster loomed large over the Obama campaign.

Yet Barack not only denounced Wright’s statements, he also defended the man and made it clear why he can’t disown his friend. Then he spoke to the reality of the situation, about how people on both sides of the racial divide still feel angered, and how that’s a real problem our country has yet to address. The juxtaposition of Wright’s anger with that of poor and middle-class whites was damned ballsy, and instead of empty promises, Barack only posed a challenge. But the thought of someone able to hold an intelligent discussion on matters like race in the White House makes me think we might not be completely fucked.

Hilariously, the outrage over Wright’s remarks is hypocritical and manufactured. Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, for example, repeatedly preached that 9/11 was God’s punishment for America’s sins — yet many Republicans, including President Bush, met repeatedly with both, seeking their opinions on matters including the Iraq war. And John McCain recently — and proudly — accepted the endorsement of John Hagee, the man who said that Hurricane Katrina was the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans (then again, McCain keeps confusing Iran and Iraq, so maybe he didn’t know what was happening).

But that’s not the point. Instead, it’s that Barack demonstrated some serious presidential credentials. He once again showed he’s more than qualified to lead our nation. He treated the American public as an intelligent audience regarding a serious topic, and he did so while embodying the Christian principle of hate the sin, love the sinner. So it’s about time he knocked mud-slinging Hillary out of the ring, because there’s no arguing: he’d be the coolest President ever.