And then as I flipped channels I saw people from every race bawling like we won the Cosmic lottery. Okay, I get it…the whole “I had a dream” thing came true and it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Cool. I’m all about having a black president, and a woman president one day, as well. May the smartest person running be elected, despite race, gender, or sexual orientation (sans sheep herders)…but no matter who wins, I’m not going to wail on national TV.

I’ll dance.

I’ll smile.

I’ll sing.

But I’m not going to lose my composure and cry like a baby, like he or she is the second coming of the Lord, or an alien with all the answers.

I’m just saying… it was creepy and funny at the same time.

First let me digress and talk to the “change” Senator Obama would have you to believe he represents. He talks change on the unity in America with race being a non-issue. He promises change in the direction our foreign policy and when our troops will be home. He promises change in our healthcare system and making affordable insurance available to all. These and other issues he promises “change” but in what direction will these “changes” lead America?

Race and the non-issue; the change here that Barak Obama would lead you to believe is along the lines of, “can't we all just get along”! Nothing could be further from the truth! In recent weeks America has witnessed the racial hate and disloyal statements coming from the self-proclaimed spiritual mentor and pastor of Barak Obama, Jeremiah Wright. Barak Obama has spent the last 20+ years under the guidance of this pastor. The senator would like us to believe that he has never heard these racial statements from his pastor but eyewitnesses put him at the church when some of these statements were made. Even Obama's wife has let this pastor's teachings affect the way she see's her country! We all remember her statement of, “This is the first time in my adult life I have been proud of my country” don't we? How can you be proud of a country if every Sunday you have a spiritual leader screaming, “God damn America” in your face? To believe that Obama doesn't have the same views as his long time friend and pastor is ludicrous!

Senator Obama and many other freshman congressmen and women promised in 2006 that if the democrats got the majority in both houses they would bring our troops home. America gave them that majority but to this day they haven't made good on that promise! Why do you suppose that is so? The reason is simple; they knew it couldn't be done that easily when they were promising it and so that make what they promised a lie! Barak Obama is trying to woo America again with the same lie and will not be able to accomplish it again this time! As unpopular as the war is there are some things that can't be done and still be respected in the international community and leaving a country in political and economical shambles after you have taken them down is one of them! We, as a country, have to stay in Iraq as long as it takes to get this country stable and able to stand on its own. Until that time and even well after we will have a force in Iraq.

Health care in America; one of the most talked about and misspoken subjects in America today! Both democratic candidates for president would have you to believe that the health care industry in America is in sad disarray. It is not in sad disarray and furthermore it still remains one of the best in the world! The “changes” Senator Obama would try to put into place would do more to retard the progress of health care in America that it would to propel it into a brighter future. We have to face facts; heath care is a business. Hospitals, doctors, insurance companies and everything to do with health care must make a profit to stay in business! I know there are some non-profits out there but the one for profit are in the definite majority. The only way to do what Barak Obama or even Senator Clinton wants to do would be to socialize medicine. With socialized medicine the quality of healthcare goes south at an enormous rate of speed! The number of men and women studying to be doctors' declines as the salaries for health professionals decline and thus quality of care goes down the tubes as standards are lowered to allow more people to pursue the field. It creates a vicious cycle that ends with the total collapse of health care as we know it today!

Changes. Are we really willing to submit to these? Do we want to see if Obama is telling us the truth about his character and then find out when it is too late? Is the war in Iraq not worth the time it takes to make sure we aren't sucked back in at some other date and at a cost of many more lives? Do we as a country believe we really have a health care crisis or do we still have the best health care in the world? We are not in as bad of shape as Barak would have you believe or even the news media would have you to believe. These changes, in my opinion, would be to the detriment of America and not to her good!

A defining moment is a period of time that a nation, country, people, community, business or individual faces that is unique and different from all other periods.

This moment may not even be recognized and can pass without any significant event or decision taking place and may never return.

The nation though prosperous has serious disparities especially along racial lines and can be healed if the chosen political leader can gain the trust and confidence of the people and members of both houses.

This moment presents itself in the form of Senators Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton from the Democratic Party and John McCain from the Republican Party.

All three persons bring unique qualities to the position, with Senator McCain possessing excellent military experience competing with the eight years first lady experience of Senator Clinton and the charisma, intellectual, oratorical and inspirational abilities of Barak Obama.

Senator Clinton has the support of her husband if chosen but this can also be a liability based on some of some of his past actions including NAFTA and the Monica Lewinsky issue.

The question is whether the electorate will look past the negatives of the past and chose Senator Clinton past on her own abilities?

Is the nation ready to choose a female to be its President after over two hundred years of male domination?

Can she bring healing to the racial divide and make the USA a truly united country?

John McCain has over fifteen years political experience on the floor of the senate as well as a creditable military experience to lead the country.

However at 72 years of age can he last the four or even eight years that is available assuming re-election?

The fact that the current president belongs to the same party and is highly unpopular may be a strong negative for John Mc Cain in his campaign to win the nomination and bring healing to the nation in this defining period of time.

It is also a challenge to impress the people to vote for him while he supports the war in Iraq which is consuming billions of dollars that could be used to offset the current economic recession.

But will the nation overlook these negatives and choose this man as the president who can best lead them is the real challenge at the moment?

Barak Obama an African American graduate from both Harvard and Columbia University is charting a journey that no one of his race has ever done before. He is highly placed to bring the healing the people needs due to the fact that he has been on both sides of the racial divide and may be able to appeal to both parties.

Symbolically he himself has been a success and this can serve as motivation to the blacks and other groups that they too can achieve if they work hard and make use of opportunities.

Will the whites and blacks trust a man who seems to be a hybrid of John F.Kennedy and Martin Luther King?

This is another real challenge in this defining period of time when the nation needs to be healed.

The racial divide has made significant progress over the years but not enough to greatly impact poverty, health insurance, homelessness, unemployment, merit based upward mobility, and education.

Here comes a candidate with the unique qualities telling the diverse nation that “YES WE CAN”, and all of a sudden the message starts to reach the hearts and minds of many who seem hungry for the inspiration.

Blacks especially and other races have been hurt by slavery, Jim Crow laws, and other forms of discrimination over the years, and has for the most part internalized it, while being suspicious of most whites at times.

They need healing.

Many whites are fearful of retaliation and will segregate for their own safety despite obvious trends to the contrary. They amassed great wealth, some at the expense of the slaves and the underclass and transmit it downwards generationally, thereby maintaining dominance.

They need healing.

Other minorities like the Hispanics have suffered immensely from low wages, discrimination, and unfavorable immigration laws. They would like to change their position and be part of a more united country where upward mobility is achievable.

The hurting nation overall is at war and are daily helping Iraq and Afghanistan to heal their political and economic problems. The doctor is sick internally but is externally trying to heal others.

It won't work unless the physician first heals himself.

These three leaders are mindful of the task ahead and seem prepared to lead the country into the future but who will be chosen in this defining moment to carry the mantle?

A healed nation will help to reverse the many wrong mindsets of the past and bring changes to decisions that gave one race advantage over the other economically and socially.

Changes in attitude can and will result in increase opportunities for greater employment for those on the lower rung of the social ladder. Increase in employment will help to increase the living standards and overall health of the economy.

But will America chose the right leader to guide such developments?

The right choice will have global impacts overall because other countries may be more impressed with our democracy and may conduct more business with us, thereby increasing our foreign earnings.

Increasing our foreign earnings will lead to more jobs being created and greater economic activity and wealth generation overall.

The Special Interest and other racist-oriented forces will try every possible way to prevent the type of leader required to achieve the level of healing and improved standard of living.

The old policy of divide and rule is still being practiced but in more sophisticated terms.

However with continuous interactions of these leaders, America may be able to rise up in this defining moment of time and vote for the person they believe can best take them to the mountain top.

Muhammed Ali is a good example for this moment. When he came on the scene, he said “I am the greatest”.

Sonny Liston, Floyd Patterson and George Chuvalo tried to stop him but they all failed.

Then all of a sudden everybody start to pay attention and believe that he was the greatest and that he could float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.

He went on to become the heavyweight champion of the world.

Barak Obama may if given the opportunity in this defining moment, become the President of the greatest nation of the world and may no doubt speak at the United Nation telling them “YES WE CAN”.

John Mc Cain may rise up and say we defeated them in Kuwait, Iraq, Panama, and Grenada and Afghanistan and we can defeat them anywhere. We are the strongest military force on earth and we are capable of protecting ourselves from any terrorist organization.

He may even go on to say that because of our military strength we have created an environment where our people Black, White, Hispanics and other minorities can feel safe and be very productive at the same time.

Hillary Clinton is a fighter at heart and can say that I have fought for and succeeded in getting high quality health care, and education for all Americans and I am prepared to help other nations.

Perhaps they will believe and impact on the global problems of poverty, sickness, desertification, drought, genocide, and corruption.

Will America respond to this challenge in this defining moment in time and make the choice that will make this healed nation a more united and greater in its achievements presently and futuristically?

Only time will tell whether this moment was properly utilize.

This lets the whole country know what type of "catty" leader she would be. I can see her know going back and forth with McCain's wife instead of running as President.

Clinton's slander on Obama for using a phrase someone suggested to him didn't go well in Texas. What speaker in history has never said something, or alluded to an idea, that already existed. The phrase was given to Obama by a constituent. If Hilary Clinton feels she is so far behind in the race she should concede before she makes a clown of herself- and her husband.
It's time to go, go in peace. Clinton is trying to rub in this NAFTA noise. So what, she wants to continue debate about health care- she already failed at that when Bill was in office. She attacks Obama on his speeches and "cult" like supporters. Maybe she should go back to school and join the debate team.

Clinton makes open jest on Obama's speeches, she is in the same party. Go home Hilary. She talks about being a doer. The only thing she has shown she can do is be a confusion causer.

Barak Obama gained 256,818 votes, compared to Clintons 157,286 with 61% precincts reporting. Obama did get 65% of the men's vote, and ironically, Obama won 58% of the women votes to Hilary's 42%. Despite reports showing claiming Obama led the white male vote, Senator Clinton had 51% of the white vote to Obama's 48%. It was clear at 90% votes, that Obama secured the black vote in Virginia.

From the economic view, voters making over $50K a year gravitated toward Obama, giving him 63% of their vote. Online polls (MSN) show that many voters are optimistic that every delegate counts. If this contest was that straightforward, Obama wouldn't have much need for super delegates this summer.

What's ironic is that while Obama dominated Hilary Clinton in the primaries and Caucuses, his Grammy victory was against, former President, Bill Clinton. Along the voters' boost, the Obama campaign is also claiming about $1 million per day in support. The Clinton campaign is said to be racking in half of that per day, with most of the funds coming in via internet.

The air that follows each of Obama's wins are adding to the weight. Analyst have reported that Obama's supporters are more excited about Obama than Clinton's supporters are about her. If Obama walks with Virginia this will really add and confident serge to his campaign. Senator Clinton may very well take Texas, but even if she wins Ohio it will be close. The Obama campaign has the financing to promote their presence in Ohio.

As of the inception of this article, the Mason-Dixon Poll showed Obama leading Hilary 53% to 39% in Virginia. In Maryland, Obama lead at 53% to 35% (MSNBC). If Obama clears the week winning the Potomac bout, it will set him up for an easy February 19. Next Tuesday, Wisconsin and Obama's native Hawaii vote. Super delegates may have an easy job after all if Barak Obama sweeps the February Caucuses.

So, what happened? Well, of course, first there were cries of racism. The theory that people chose Obama in the polls to seem “open minded” or “unbiased by race” was widely floated. The idea was that when it came time to vote they just couldn't bring themselves to select someone with different colored skin. Others maintained that Clinton's “crocodile tears” during a meet and greet rally swayed public opinion. Hillary herself said that she could feel the tide turn after she had spoken at a rally.

Here's what really happened (or my theory of it). America loves an underdog. Now, without making any cheap remarks about Clinton's appearance; I think that Hillary hatched a plan to play the role of underdog. This strategy started months ago with Hillary's complaints that she was being picked on unfairly by the other candidates because she's a “woman”. To further sympathy for herself in New Hampshire, during a speech at a rally two “chauvinist pig” protesters showed up chanting and carrying a sign that said “Iron my shirts!” (a nearly 40 year old anti-feminist slogan). Instead of just having the “protesters” (aka obvious plants) escorted out, Clinton had the lights raised so all could see the “protesters” and had some “off the cuff” responses that had the crowd applauding, the NY Daily News said. (Hillary doesn't do spontaneous, by the way.) Now, for the coup de grace: New Hampshire.

If you don't know much about the New Hampshire primary, let me enlighten you. One does not need to be a resident of New Hampshire to participate in the primary. This is also true of straw polls and caucuses. Also, supporters of political candidates often charter buses or ride in caravans from out of state to influence the primary's outcome.

I believe that many of Hillary's supporters got together and participated in every poll that they could, choosing Obama every time. This set Obama up to be the expected winner and Clinton the certain loser, a true underdog. But, we all know what happened when it came time to vote. Hillary won and wowed the media with her newfound momentum; something her campaign desperately needed.

"Together, let's give America the comeback that New Hampshire has just given me."

Yeah, right.