So I bought Barack Obama’s book, “The Audacity of Hope” a couple of months ago, and I must say that I’m quite impressed with this guy. I’m no Democrat, but Obama’s got a sharp head on his shoulders—and an ear for listening, too. He might just be the one to bring this country together again. Or so I hope.

In the Nov. 13th edition of Time Magazine, Eric Murr wrote to the editor:

“I am a christian and conservative Republican, but I can’t help hoping that Obama will become our next President. I believe he is wrong about abortion, but he has acknowledged in a refreshingly Socratic way that he can’t just dismiss the views of those on the other side. That may be politicking to earn my vote, but if a pro-life Republican ultimately sends us into a third world war with status quo Republican rhetoric, a pro-life position is kind of pointless.” —Eric Murr, Greencastle, Pa.

I think Barack Obama’s life experiences have prepared him to lead a grassroots return to the America we were all proud of. His dad wasn’t a senator. His mom wasn’t a governor. He grew up in an average income home. He knows what it’s like to climb from the bottom to the top. My sense of Obama is that he, like few of the politicians in today’s scene, is a people’s politician—that rare breed that actually takes seriously the role of representing the people who elect him. He can sit between two fiercely divided ideals and actually make both sides feel understood.

I’m crossing my fingers in hope that his black and white roots help rather than hinder his campaign. In my world view, a white president is just as good as a black one. But I know that in some parts of the USA, things like what color of skin you have can still sway votes. If all goes well, the blacks who care if he’s black will see what they want, and the whites who care if he’s white will see what they want. In this sense, and with a little luck, he could be doubly able to heal the divide and bring our country together again.