As I’ve said before, I will vote for whoever the democratic candidate is this coming November.  But I’m still pretty much agnostic about the two leading contenders.  I don’t think either one of them will be great on gay equality.  But I’m actually starting to warm a bit to Obama, in spite of Donnie McClurkin, and here’s why…

I drove for two hours yesterday to Bangor with my sister and daughter to see Barack speak in Maine. I figured it would be interesting to see a candidate speak, when Maine is typically forgotten. We made the mistake of getting there about an hour before the doors opened to the Bangor Auditorium, as the population of the city had increased by a third for his speech. We waited in the longest line I had ever seen in my life for almost two hours. We met some wonderful people, many younger and surprisingly many quite a bit older.

After all of that waiting, we were only a few hundred feet from the auditorium when we were told that the main room had filled to capacity as well as the overflow room. Just when we were ready to turn back, we were told that Barack would speak to us outside, and would do so FIRST.

So imagine a scene like the stump speeches only read about in books, people jostling on snowbanks, climbing fences, trees, even each other in the calm cold that was Maine yesterday to hear and see Barack, for only a few minutes. And did he deliver…

Now, that’s a class act.  But also, he’s taking no votes for granted.  He’s making sure that everyone who comes to hear him, gets to hear him.  That’s good.  If the democrats are going to win back the white house, they’re going to need a fighter.  A grass roots, carry the fight right to the streets fighter.

That letter to Salon.Com ends with this…

Hillary speaks of worries about Barack being a likable guy, same as George Bush. She’s right, and also dead wrong. Likable they both can be, yes. But George Bush is the man who drinks you under the table, then drives you all home and thusly off a cliff.

Er…not quite.  Bush is the guy who will drink you under the table, then walk out leaving you stuck with the tab, then expect you to call him up the next day and thank him for having drinks with you.  And if he doesn’t get that phone call you’ll be on his shit list forever.