After watching the Democratic debate last night, I was left feeling positive about Barack Obama and impressed by Hillary Clinton and John Edwards. With the Dow Jones futures pointing nearly 500 points toward South Carolina this morning, I’m beginning to sway toward Mr. Obama’s message of optimism and unity. His candidacy is energizing young people in this country in a way reminiscent of John F. Kennedy in 1960. After seven years of Orwellian drudgery known as the Bush administration, I’m thinking that regardless of how competent she is, Mrs. Clinton is a polarizing figure who will not be able to bring people together to solve our mounting problems. The Republicans HATE her and her husband and unless the Democrats sweep to a 2/3 majority in the House and Senate, political cooperation with the Grand Old Party will be a prerequisite to getting anything accomplished.

As for experience, recent articles I’ve read cite the thin experience of Abraham Lincoln, while another concludes if experience was all that mattered, Dick Cheney is currently the most qualified person to become our next President. That puts the whole experience thing in some perspective, doesn’t it?