Congratulations world! The United States of America have selected your new leader. You should all be proud.

His name is Barack Hussein Obama II. Born August 4th 1961 in Hawaii, to father Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. of Kenya, and mother Ann Dunham of America. He lived with his mother in Indonesia until he was 10, then was raised by his mother's parents in Hawaii.

After High school he moved on to Occidental College in Los Angles, California. After two Years he transferred to Columbia University in New York City. There he majored in Political Sciences, and specialized in International Relations. He graduated from Columbia in 1982. In 1988 he started in Harvard Law School, becoming an editor and later the first black President of the Harvard Law Review. He graduated with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) magna cum laude in 1991.

In 1992 he started teaching Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago. In 1995 he published a memoir Dreams from My Father. In 1997 he became a State Legislator. In 2005 a Senator. Now in 2009 he will become the first black President of the United States.

After 8 agonizingly long years, we have a leader who doesn't go with his gut. Congratulations to us for not being our usual superficially stupid selves.

This is sad. One of those things where, in the movies, she would have held on until it was announced that he had won the election. Then she would just slip quietly away while everybody around her was cheering at the television. But not in the real world. She dies the day before the election. Never knowing if he makes it or not.

Of course the cynic in me now won't be surprised if get some additional sympathy votes. That makes me pretty cynical doesn't it.

This is another political chain mail, I can't resist ripping apart.

My name is Joe Porter. I live in Champaign , Illinois. I'm 46 years old, a born-again Christian, a husband, a father, a small business owner, a veteran, and a homeowner. I don't consider myself to be either conservative or liberal, and I vote for the person, not Republican or Democrat. I don't believe there are 'two Americas ' but that every person in this country can be whomever and whatever they want to be if they'll just work to get there and nowhere else on earth can they find such opportunities. I believe our government should help those who are legitimately downtrodden, and should always put the interests of America first.

Wow! This is actually REAL! I looked him up in the Google phone book. There is only one Joe Porter in Champaign, Illinois. His phone number is (look it up your self). He did write it and has received many calls from virtually every state asking about it. I was the 4th from New York. He originally sent it to 25 people he knew. He's amazed how much it has spread.

[snip] I cut 2 paragraphs of inspiration speak

I'm concerned that a growing number of voters in this country simply don't get it. They are caught up in a fervor they can't explain, and calling it change.

Change what?, I ask.

The general fascist trend of catering to the interests of large business, over those of the American people. The large majority of Obama's massive campaign contributions have come from small donors online.

[snip] The rest of the hypothetical conversation doesn't matter much past that

So the current system, the system of freedom and democracy that has enabled a man to grow up in this great country, get a fine education, raise incredible amounts of money and dominate the news, and win his party's nomination for the White House that system's all wrong?

Nope. Not all wrong.

[snip] More hypothetical conversation

Quite frankly, I don't believe that vague proclamations of change hold any promise for me. In recent months, I've been asking virtually everyone I encounter how they're voting. I live in Illinois, so most folks tell me they're voting for Barack Obama. But no one can really tell me why, only that he's going to change a lot of stuff Change, change, change. I have yet to find one single person who can tell me distinctly and convincingly why this man is qualified to be President and Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful nation on earth other than the fact that he claims he's going to implement a lot of change.

Obama has a Political Science undergraduate degree specializing in Foreign Relations, from Columbia. He also graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard Law.

McCain almost proudly admits he graduated bottom of his class from Annapolis, in spite of having a IQ of 133. Actually he reminds me a lot of myself in that regard. I wouldn't vote for me ether.

We've all seen the emails about Obama's genealogy, his upbringing, his Muslim background, and his church affiliations. Let's ignore this for a moment. Put it all aside. Then ask yourself, What qualifies this man to be my president? That he's a brilliant orator and talks about change?

I'm glad you put aside all those things that aren't true and or don't matter.

CHANGE WHAT?

Changing the health care system to benefit individuals instead of insurance companies.

Changing the trend of giving the largest earners in this country the lowest tax rates.

Changing every instance where a politician favors a business lobbyist over the wishes of their constituents.

Friends, I'll be forthright with you I believe the American voters who are supporting Barack Obama don't have a clue what they're doing, as evidenced by the fact that not one of them - NOT ONE of them I've spoken to can spell out his qualifications. Not even the most liberal media can explain why he should be elected. Political experience? Negligible. Foreign relations? Non-existent. Achievements? Name one. Someone who wants to unite the country? If you haven't read his wife's thesis from Princeton , look it up on the web. This is who's lining up to be our next First Lady? The only thing I can glean from Obama's constant harping about change is that we're in for a lot of new taxes.

Here is her thesis. It's about how she felt a racial divide in Princeton.

For me, the choice is clear. I've looked carefully at the two leading applicants for the job, and I've made my choice.

How carefully could you have looked, without finding any specific changes Obama is trying to make? Did you look at his website?

Here's a question - Where were you five and a half years ago? Around Christmas, 2002. You've had five or six birthdays in that time. My son has grown from a sixth grade child to a high school graduate. Five and a half years is a good chunk of time. About 2,000 days. 2,000 nights of sleep. 6,000 meals, give or take.

John McCain spent that amount of time, from 1967 to 1973, in a North Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp.

When offered early release, he refused it. He considered this offer to be a public relations stunt by his captors, and insisted that those held longer than he should be released first. Did you get that part? He was offered his freedom, and he turned it down. A regimen of beatings and torture began.

Do you possess such strength of character? Locked in a filthy cell in a foreign country, would you turn down your own freedom in favor of your fellow man? I submit that's a quality of character that is rarely found, and for me, this singular act defines John McCain.

I would like to think so. I'm sure my family thinks I can be stubborn enough, just ask them.

Unlike several presidential candidates in recent years whose military service is questionable or non-existent, you will not find anyone to denigrate the integrity and moral courage of this man. A graduate of Annapolis, during his Naval service he received the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. His own son is now serving in the Marine Corps in Iraq. Barack Obama is fond of saying We honor John McCain's service...BUT..., which to me is condescending and offensive - because what I hear is, Let's forget this man's sacrifice for his country, and his proven leadership abilities, and talk some more about change.

Being a POW is not a qualification for President. It proves that someone is strong willed and determined. Our current President has proven, having those traits in overabundance can actually be a detriment to the office.

What other qualifications does he have? Spending over 20 years serving on committees?

I don't agree with John McCain on everything - but I am utterly convinced that he is qualified to be our next President, and I trust him to do what's right. I know in my heart that he has the best interests of our country in mind. He doesn't simply want to be President - he wants to lead America , and there's a huge difference. Factually, there is simply no comparison between the two candidates. A man of questionable background and motives who prattles on about change, can't hold a candle to a man who has devoted his life in public service to this nation, retiring from the Navy in1981 and elected to the Senate in1982.

So your voting with your Heart instead of your Brain? (That was too easy)

Perhaps Obama's supporters are taking a stance between old and new. Maybe they don't care about McCain's service or his strength of character, or his unblemished qualifications to be President. Maybe likeability is a higher priority for them than trust. Being a prisoner of war is not what qualifies John McCain to be President of the United States of America - but his demonstrated leadership certainly DOES.

Yes I'm ignoring his service record. It largely paints him as a screw up until he was captured. After that he didn't do much notable. They are both men of strong character so that doesn't mater ether. What exactly are his unblemished qualifications to be President? You still haven't mentioned anything other than his service record. What demonstrations of leadership has he shown?

Dear friends, it is time for us to stand. It is time for thinking Americans to say, Enough. It is time for people of all parties to stop following the party line. It is time for anyone who wants to keep America first, who wants the right man leading their nation, to start a dialogue with all their friends and neighbors and ask who they're voting for, and why.

I couldn't agree more.

There's a lot of evil in this world. That should be readily apparent to all of us by now. And when faced with that evil as we are now, I want a man who knows the cost of war on his troops and on his citizens. I want a man who puts my family's interests before any foreign country.

What about putting your family's interests before any American corporation?

I want a President who's qualified to lead.

Don't we all?

I want my country back, and I'm voting for John McCain.

Your voting for a man who belongs to the same party as the guy who has flubbed it up so badly? Your voting for a man who has voted with the man who flubbed it up so badly 95% of the time?

After all of that, you never gave a well thought out reason for supporting McCain. Just what you feel in your hart about his being a POW. You never mentioned a single issue or qualifying quality. Only a terrible experience that happened more than 30 years ago. I don't mean to insult you, but those are not the reasons of a thinking man. They are the reasons of a Feeling man. You are voting with your hart not your mind.

My mother has been batting a thousand with her recent chain emails (love you mom). The most recent of which chastises Obama for omitting the American flag from the new look of his campaign's plane.

Patriotism is not the flags we wave. It’s not the pins we wear. It’s not the paint jobs on our private plains. It’s certainly not the flags we put in our car windows after 9/11, and never replace when they get old. Choosing a president based on this superficial pageantry is willful ignorance. It’s disrespectful to the office of the President, and the nation as a whole. A president needs to be chosen based on their knowledge, intelligence, wisdom, and character. Look at their proposed policies and past voting records. Lets try to be smarter this time.

Update:
The best way to know what each candidate is about is to read in depth what they propose. Here are McCain's and Obama's Issues pages on their sites.

Yes that is a dramatic over statement. I'm sure she will find a way to stay politically active. Hell she may even try again in the future. Still this has to be very hard for her.

Hillary Clinton is a woman of vision. 20 years ago she decided she decided she wanted to be the first female President of the United States of America. Well everything worked exactly as planned. Until the very end. This young black guy comes out of nowhere and steals it out from under her. I would want to hurt someone if that happened to me.