The Mad Rants of an Unconventional Soccer Mom

HONOLULU – Senator Barack Obama slowly walked up the steps of his campaign plane here on Friday evening, his suit coat slung over his shoulder, as he concluded his one-day visit home to Hawaii.

From touch-down on Thursday to take off on Friday, Mr. Obama spent nearly 22 hours on the ground in Honolulu visiting his ailing grandmother, Madelyn Dunham. He did not say how Mrs. Dunham was feeling and campaign aides did not disclose her condition, but he believes this could be his last time seeing her.

How unbelievably difficult it must be to say goodbye to a loved one, knowing you will probably not see them alive again. My heart goes out to him.

In "Dreams from My Father," Barack wrote how his grandfather was a dreamer and how it was “Toot”, his grandmother, who gave him his grounding. It was Toot that was practical enough to support the family by working her way up from secretary to vice president at a local bank. In his speeches he credits her with raising him to be the man he is now and he often sights her as an example of a strong woman succeeding through intelligence and determination. She really is a remarkable woman if you think about what she accomplished.

I hope that on Novemeber 4th Barack is able to dedicate a towering triumph to her. I hope she can hold on long enough to see the grandson she raised by sworn in as President of the United States.

And one finally thought:  Do you remember when McCain fake "suspended" his campaign for a selfish, dishonest political stunt?  Now Barack has been accused of fake suspending his campaign. I would like to point out that what Barack did was prioritize and delegate. These are two very Presidential characteristics. What Barack did was out of genuine love and grief, not a stunt. The contrast is overwhelming.