Game. Set. Match.

What amazes me most about Obama is that he doesn't duck or skirt the issues or controversies surrounding him. Do you want his upfront, honest answers to questions regarding his exact connection with indicted businessman Tony Rezko? He will tell you. Do you want his answers regarding his pastor's incendiary comments? He will tell you.

We always complain about how the politicians never give it to us straight or how they never answer the questions posed to them. We always complain about how the politicians pander to us and reduce everything to upbeat soundbites. Here is a man who represents everything we've said we've always wanted in a politician: smart, thoughtful, honest, direct, inspiring, hopeful, and noble. Yet, when confronted with such a man, we succumb to the fear, uncertainty, and doubt that are the main commodities of our degenerate political discourse.

Modern politics is all about reducing everything to its caricature. It is the pundits' tool in trade and the politicians' convenient shorthand. It pre-supposes an anti-intellectual bias in the electorate and a willingness to trade thoughtful dialogue for the cartoonish ignorance of the simpleton. It sells. It's all that passes for political discourse these days.

Obama, though, simply outclasses the pundits and the political gadfly's. He doesn't play the game by their rules and I think that scares them. They try to pigeonhole him and reduce him to an easy caricature to present to their moronic readership, but he defies all attempts at shallow categorization.

How can anyone listen to the speech above and come away with nothing but respect and admiration for the man and his principles, even if they do not agree wholeheartedly with his positions or interests? Because we've been conditioned, by people who think they know better than us, to accept the caricature and the mindless stereotype. We've collectively allowed ourselves to be spoon-fed a simplistic narrative with all the nuance and thoughtfulness of the Teletubbies. It's time to grow-up. There's an adult running for President.

Edit: I just watched this speech again and I still can't find another speech in my lifetime that is its equal. It's the best speech I've ever heard that wasn't in grainy black-and-white or read by a costumed re-enactor.