It got real apparent that something was amiss when at the conclusion of Sen.Obama's victory speech in Iowa, the camera's returned to Chris Mathews, Kieth Oberman and the rest of the MSNBC guests and no one knew what to say. As the evening unfolded and they took comfort in knowing that maybe all of them did just see a UFO, or in this case perhaps the most impressive speech of the last 50 years, slowly they came to acknowledge it.
To start there wasn't the usual, "well guest so and so, what did you think about the speech?" Chris Mathews threw it like a hot potato to Pat Buchanan and the Air America lady for a few irrelevant thoughts then Gene Robinson tip-toed in with a "it gave me goosebumps" comment and finally Howard Fineman who clearly recognized what had just happened, said among other things, "the torch has been passed."
It would take forever and ultimately amount to speculation to track down and discuss the sources of their early inhibitions but it shows how long it's been since we've seen greatness. Unlike the Supreme court who admits they can't describe it but know what pornography looks like; we have forgotten what real leadership looks like. We don't know it when we see it.
Now mind you that it will be a long time before I'll put Sen. Obama squarely in this category. In fact he'll probably have to win the general election to get there but for now I'll keep hoping that he is the real deal and that gives me hope.
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