The Pope, Dr King, Barack Obama, Bush

I don't know why I'm thinking about this, but the Pope had a full life, and Dr. Martin Luther King's life was cut short at the age of 39. He died very, very young. One can only wonder what else he would've done with his life, having done so much already. Would he have gone into politics itself, i.e. ran for office? I believe he would've, if only because the vacuum of talent in that world compares so invidiously with his own abundance. He might very well have been our president by now, and what a difference that would've made. (No doubt Dr. King's womanizing would've been exposed in tabloid-fashion by now, too, and I wonder how much difference that would've made.) I think what appears to be so exciting about Barack Obama is that he recalls some of Dr. King's abundance of talent. Like Dr. King, the new senator is a charismatic speaker with the intelligence and breadth of mind to write his own speeches, something politicians appear to lack to a man or woman. He is a compelling writer, who has written a best-selling memoir. I do believe this young man is our most gifted politician today, and might prove to be the King reborn we need so much. He is that rare phenomenon, a truly talented man in politics, an area of our public life that does not seem to call forth too many truly gifted people. Having to put up with a non-intellectual, language-challenged, prodigal son and business failure like Bush as our president really takes the lustre off the office. Even if Bush hadn't been so CEO arrogant, I think he would've put off other world leaders for being such a narrow-minded twit. The U.S. seems to be a nation stuck in its teens; it would be evidence of our maturity if we could bring ourselves to vote for a sophisticated, worldly, adult male (or female) instead of a Bible-punching drinking-buddy yahoo.