Pierre’s blog

I've decided to get off the fence, and out of the closet, so to speak, and voice my support for Barack Obama for President.

This has been a difficult decision for me in some ways because I don't know Senator Obama that well, while on the other hand I know both Senator and former President Clinton fairly well. I'm not a friend of either but have had the opportunity to spend quality discussion time with both the Clintons, after his administration and before her presidential candiacy.

It's a tough decision because I was rooting for Senator Clinton ever since I met her, before I had ever heard of Barack Obama. In the interactions I've had with her, I have found her a compassionate and passionate advocate for the ideals of our country, and for creating more opportunity for more Americans. I have no doubt she would make an excellent President. She would be inclusive and thoughtful in her approach. We are lucky to have her as a serious candidate. 

I also have spent a little time with John McCain, though not enough to really know him. But I have a great deal of respect for him, and especially the politically difficult stands he has taken in his career. He is a honest and intelligent man, and I think he would make a very decent President.

Between Senators Clinton and McCain, I think we're already pretty lucky to have such high quality choices, for once. I don't remember in my own lifetime another presidential race where the choice wasn't really about who was less bad or less mediocre than the other. 2008 is already special that way. 

But then there's Barack Obama. I've never spent time with him, though I did meet him briefly backstage at a rally for Darfur in Washington, prior to his candidacy. I don't know much about his policies. I've never had the chance to see him up close think through a complicated issue, like I have with the Clintons. But here's the thing:

When he talks about America, it makes me proud to be an American. I want to believe, and I do believe that we live in the America he is talking about. I'm an immigrant, and even though I was raised here, I've always loved this country and its ideals with the fervor of a convert. He puts words to what I feel. 

There really isn't much point to my endorsing a candidate, and it's self-indulgent to write a lengthy essay. No one's vote or opinion will be swayed by what I think. The safer course, especially given my respect, admiration, and relationship with the Clintons, would be to stay out of the fray. Really, there is no upside for my being public about what I think -- only downside. 

But then I ask myself: when will I have another chance in my life to risk the downside and take a stand, to raise my voice in support of someone as inspiring and aspirational as Barack Obama? That someone like him, of his vision, his character and tempermant, could be president of the United States, will only happen once in my life. Sure, if he loses now he could try again in four or eight years. But by then the audacity of his message will be dimmed by repitition and cynicism. And I will have missed my very first opportunity to stand for hope and the ideals that set this country apart, and make this country great. 

Today is my daughter's seventh birthday. I want her to grow up in the America that I believe in, the America that Barack Obama has been telling us about. It's hard to cut through all the noise of politics sometimes, but I realize today that something special is happening. We've got excellent candidates all around this year, but I truly think that only once in a generation will we see an exceptional leader like Barack Obama. 

And you know, I think Senators Clinton and McCain can also see it. It almost doesn't matter what the policy differences are. Barack Obama is showing a mirror to America, and despite the bad stuff we see in our reflection, we see that we are fundamentally good and strong and proud, and we can overcome our challenges by working together, across all sorts of lines, be they partisan, racial, cultural, religious, or whatever. 

That's something unique about Barack Obama's America -- our America -- and that's the America I want to live in. 

• 18:39 [seesmic] Re: Seesmic Du Jour 107: Stephanie Booth on Getting Things Done - seesmic.com/v/hUHy3CXHRU

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• 16:40 [seesmic] Re: What's up Seesmic. 1st Post.. :) - seesmic.com/v/jQbddL8Ni1
• 16:54 Downloading Skype 2.7 for Mac. Guess they released it a month ago but nobody told me.
• 19:22 Glad they didn't think to look in my passport file... Oops!
• 21:08 Posted my Dhaka photos to Flickr: flickr.com/photos/pmo/collections/72157604179897506/

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• 12:11 At day 2 of SFI meeting on Complex Adaptive Systems Thinking in the Study of History. John Lewis Gaddis is up.
• 12:18 Brilliant talk by Gaddis connecting Tolstoy to George Kennan's Cold War strategy.
• 14:33 Interesting meeting dynamics: a physicist is beating up a historian while 3 or 4 scientists take a snooze around the table.

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• 12:09 Beginning a 3-day meeting titled Complex Adaptive Systems Thinking in the Study of History, sponsored by Santa Fe Institute.
• 12:43 David Krakauer is talking about meta-history. I don't understand it yet, but I'm naturally attracted to meta-anything.
• 12:50 Now he's using math equations to talk about the evolution of biological immune systems. Really clears things up for me.
• 13:55 Ok, now Alfred Crosby is talking about the use of psychoactive substances and their impact throughout history.
• 14:27 "The use of drugs is not maladaptive in a species where social solidarity yields great dividends" -- from audience
• 14:39 Interesting, apparently there is a novelty-seeking gene. Stable societies like the Chinese have lower incidence.
• 20:08 David Christian: vodka consumption represented 40% of state revenue in 19th century Russia.
• 20:19 David Christian was the first to teach Big History, which covers large scale histories of the past.
• 20:40 Murray Gell-Mann just gave a general definition of complexity, which was so simple that I'm having trouble recalling it.
• 21:04 Amazing conversation, historians arguing with physicists about complexity.
• 21:14 Murray Gell-Mann just said narrative is the best way to describe quantum mechanics, so I think historians are winning the argument.
• 21:28 Please don't ask me to explain anything Murray says. He is simply much smarter than me.
• 00:35 Watching video created by Seesmic community in support of FARC hostage Ingrid Betancourt: tinyurl.com/3689vm

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• 22:25 Heck, at $2/sh *I* could've bought Bear Stearns. Not sure what I'd do with it though. Probably sell it.

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• 10:17 Landed. Great to be home!

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• 16:58 Awake (or at least eyes open and walking around) too early. Packing up and getting ready to head home!
• 17:28 Durned hotel Internet went down just as I was trying to Skype call home.
• 18:25 Getting on an airplane, saying good bye to India. Wishing our friend well, hope he isn't too ill.
• 01:46 Refueling stop, nice 3G network here. Roaming probably costing a fortune, though.

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• 18:57 Going on a field trip (site visit) outside Hyderabad.
• 19:02 Microsoft's research center is across the street from the National Institute of Fashion Technology. Coincidence?
• 03:34 Back from site visits with SKS and RDI. A bit overwhelmed, need a nap.

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• 16:36 Good morning Mumbai! Do you know where your sun is? Up early to catch an early flight out. More pics at pmo.tumblr.com/
• 19:37 Landed in Hyderabad. Uploading more Mumbai photos to pmo.tumblr.com
• 20:07 If Mumbai was like Paris in some ways, Hyderabad is like San Jose. Viewed from a bus, anyway.
• 20:16 Unlike Mumbai, we can see the sun in Hyderabad. Beautiful day.
• 23:25 [seesmic] Testing... do not reply! - seesmic.com/v/UvmlCVnMoR
• 23:44 Just locked myself out of my hotel room. First time ever. Honestly.
• 01:48 Visiting the Indian School of Business. Turns out it's the first time I've ever been to a business school.
• 03:41 Great visit at Indian School of Business. Enaged with very smart people. Weather reminds me of Las Vegas in October.

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