I'm hoping that the following article brings some hope to my Republican friends, who are lamenting the lead that Obama enjoys over McCain. One even said, "the market hates Democrats"... to this, I reply:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/10/14/opinion/20081014_OPCHART.html

As of Friday, a $10,000 investment in the S.& P. stock market index would have grown to $11,733 if invested under Republican presidents only, although that would be $51,211 if we exclude Herbert Hoover’s presidency during the Great Depression. Invested under Democratic presidents only, $10,000 would have grown to $300,671 at a compound rate of 8.9 percent over nearly 40 years.

I believe that since Obama, like Clinton before him, will be saddled with a massive deficit from a Bush, he will be forced to maintain a position of strict fiscal conservativeness. This, paired with his natural statesmanship, will bring allies into the Iraq reconstruction, so we ease our way out of Iraq as quickly as possible. Once we stop spending so much money on this Iraq quagmire, and start investing in new technology and the middle class again... I think America's prospects are pretty darn good.

Also, one more thing makes me like Obama... while riding the elevator the other day, I met a Latina housekeeper accompanied by her young son because she couldn't afford a babysitter. I quipped to the boy, "Hey kid, when you grow up, don't forget how hard your mom worked to raise you." She added with a smile, "Yeah, you can grow up to be President." The kid adds, "Like Obama, right Mom?" This almost brought a tear to my eye, because he said it with hope... and without an ounce of cynicism.

Barack Obama is not just a candidate, but a symbol, of hope and the future.