Why I'm having trouble getting (back) behind Barack Obama

Two words: Obama fans.

I used to like Barack Obama. I thought he was fabulous. When he was elected to the senate in '04, one of my roommates at the time was from Illinois, so it was a matter of note in our household.

Mind you, to begin with I had some reservations about his run for presidency. His lack of extensive experience, for one. His charismatic personality-- I don't personally think "rock star" politicians are a good thing. They too easily sway people. Lots of bad things have happened throughout history because of charismatic, convincing leaders. Not that I'm saying he's about to attempt one such bad thing. I just think people should have to evaluate their candidate's policies a bit more, rather than just swooning the minute they appear on TV (I still think Al Gore would have made a great president. But people thought he was boring. That and the whole rigged election thing, I mean... but it wouldn't have come down to that if more people had actually thought about who or what they were voting for. We are a shallow, shallow country sometimes). And, I'm really a H. Clinton fan.

That all being said, the point is that I used to really dig Obama, and thought he was a great addition to the political climate of our country.

But there are Obama fans who are just some of the most obnoxious people I know.

Ok, before you jump all over me: not all Obama fans, nor even the vast majority, I'm sure. I know and love many an Obama supporter, who are for the most part well-adjusted, reasonably sane people who give proper importance to their core beliefs and don't freak out about things that don't matter. But something about this primary race has brought out just the most disgusting rabid fanaticism in a small but very vocal portion of Obama fans-- something I have not witnessed in any previous primary race, even if this one may have been somewhat unique.

My stance from the beginning was "I think either Obama or Clinton would make an excellent president. However, I think Clinton has more experience. And I think it's high time for a woman president. There's real change for you-- historically advance have gone white men, minority men, white women, minority women." I'm not trying to decide which minority status is most important. Hell, if there was a minority woman running for a major party, that'd be even cooler. As long as it wasn't, like, Condoleeza Rice or something. (Ahem, Green Party, anyone??)

But I have seen a few Obama fans get thoroughly petty, personal, obsessive, offensive, and generally lose any shadow of a grasp on reality and how normal people in society interact. I have dreaded the beginning of political conversations for the first time in my life, because they were so rarely intelligent political discussions. They were groupie rants with some of the most blatantly stated double standards I've ever heard uttered by people who claim to be intelligent and socially conscious citizens.

So the point of ALL of this is, I'm trying, folks. Really I am. So to all the nice, sane, normal people who were always fans of Obama, please do your best to rein in your obnoxious compatriots. I am trying my best to look past them to support someone I always meant to be supportive of in the first place.

(Of course... it probably doesn't help that his people called me at 7:15 this morning. They're lucky I was already up. I did laugh out loud at the woman when she asked me for $300, though.)