Like many of you, I first saw and heard Obama in the 2004 Democratic Convention. His speech inspired me at a time when I was desperately seeking someone in the political arena I can admire and respect. I vividly remember thinking this man is visionary. His message of unity at a time when our country was so badly divided by the Bush administration was a breath of fresh air. Right there and then I thought he is destined to become United State’s first black president. One would think then that I would be swept up by the extraordinary energy surrounding his current bid for the White House, but I am not. I am still in awe of his capacity to communicate a message of unity and change, but his words are just not enough for me.

Who is Obama? What has he done in his relatively short political career that justifies the Obama Fever currently infecting so many? I understand the hunger for a new vision. Most of us have been wondering, for the past seven years, in a morally deserted and bankrupted political terrain. But we must not,,driven by our starvation, react in haste. Our critical minds still need to mediate our emotional and spiritual ideals so that we can objectively sort out illusion from reality. Obama is clearly speaking our hearts, minds and souls, but can he deliver?

In our private lives we have all experienced certain individuals’ capacity to talk the talk, only to be greatly disappointed with their walk. At this juncture of human and global evolution, it behooves us to make an informed and responsible choice as to who will preside over our country’s future, as well as, greatly impact the rest of the world. Given what is at stake, we need to fully educate ourselves about the presidential candidates, compare and contrast, and make choices based on facts not merely personality or emotions.

I am speaking out not because I am against Obama, I am not! I am speaking out because I am concerned about the apparent lack of critical analysis demonstrated by his supporters. Right now I have two major concerns about him. I have reviewed his voting record in the Senate and for the most part I am in agreement with his positions. The doubts I have pertain to how often he has chosen not to vote on many critical issues. It is not clear to me why he has declined voting so often, and I think he needs to address this issue.

The second concern relates to the manner in which he has responded to the Clintons and the media. As a uniting force I would have expected him not only to avoid throwing mud, as he had on several occasions, but to get above it all when questioned by the media, thereby, demonstrating true change from politics as usual. I would be more trusting of his unity message if he responded to media questions regarding the Clintons with words to the effect of “I refuse to participate in a divisive dialogue. I am here to speak about how I can make a difference to the American people and to be a role model for a new type of public servant, one who focuses on the issues and committed to promoting change through my actions."

As a concerned citizen of our country and our planet, I want to know more about who this man is. What does he specifically mean when he speaks of change? Concretely, what are his plans to affect this change? And does he have the capacity to deliver on his words?
At this point I don’t have the answers to these questions. Do you? We are voting for our next president. We have suffered enough at the whims of the Bush administration. This is no time for us to be swept away by emotions.