Barack Obama's open letter to his daughters and every child in America

[spokette]

Brack Obama published this letter in Parade Magazine in USA last week.

At his core, he is a family man who loves and cherishes his daughters as well as his beautiful wife. I love him.

yeah.

I can't wait for him to actually be president so we can actually judge him on what he's like in the job, rather than being spoon-fed 'inspiration' which is starting to feel like I've got a big wad of cloying toffee stuck in my gob.

go midnightexpress!!!!!!! - I couldn't agree more. He's not the messiah.

yeah, all he's done so far is win. He hasn't provided free NHS care for all americans yet has he?

Cant say I think much of it either. Lets see some ideas on HOW not WHAT. Its not difficult to write sentimental rubbish but to actually change things for the better is much mor edifficult. I'll reserve my judgement till then.

thank you, I am usually nametaken but this is my burns night name.

Oh, I wouldn't doubt he's written it. The man's written three books. (About himself, weren't they? ) Who hasn't written saccharine letters to their kids that they've had in a national publication?

Well I'm very excited- the line that jumped out at me too was about trying to resolve international disputes peacefully and needing a "good reason" to send troops in. It's a relief after the ominous World Policeman stuff from Bush. Perhaps this is the triumph of hope over experience-as UnquietDad mentioned, we remember feeling somewhat let down by Blair!- but where would we be without hope?

The letter was beautiful.

Give the man a chance he only becomes President today!!! FGS!

It will take years for him to sort out The USA espeically with the Credit climite at the moment.

I think he has managed to inspire alot of people already and give people the sense of hope and achivement.

Spokette I am with you 100% the man has inspired alot of Black British and shown them a different way of life and he isn't even apart of this country.

I hope all goes well for him in the White house.

I know that alot of people are going to expect him to change the world instantly but reality is that will never happen.

My only concerns for this Man is his own life There is some real crazy people out there.

Who says I'm not giving him a chance? I'm just not making big cow-eyes and girlishly giggling at every third rate platitude that drops from his sainted lips.

he is great.. in the kind of way a a man gasping for water coming out of the dessert finds the man giving him a glass of water, great.

i think spokette was wrong for her second post and should be gracious enough to apologise - just say " sorry" dear. there was no need, stop jumping around and banging your fists, its undignified.

now, i have much hope for Obama, but we shall see whether he is the power of the machine, or just a shiny cog within.

i think it was inspirational in the way it encouraged more black and poor amerians to vote.

i hope Obama doesn't pander to middle america, although where there is power, there needs to be money to enable it i suppose.

i am hopeful and cynical can we settle on pragmatic?

Just read his autobiography and I am filled with respect for the man. He is incredibly intelligent, thoughtful, fair and intuitive. I am so glad he is a world leader. It gives me hope for all our children.

Absolutely what bamboostalks said. This is not a 'letter to his daughters' it's a letter to America and it's mawkish and just uurrghhh!

Oh come on everyone, he's American. This is what Americans do. Sentimentality is their middle name. Just enjoy this incredible historic moment for what it is and forget about whether the 'God bless us one and all' thing makes you heave.

Actually, I think I might hide in a cave until it's all over.

I genuinely wish him well, but oy, I'm starting to worry that if I don't mention 'hope' within three syllables of his name, I'm going to be rounded upon and pointed at like in Invasion of the Bodysnatchers...

---> You! You are not one of us!!!

with regard to the school I read (elsewhere) that he sends them to that school

a) because it's 5 minutes from their home
b) because he used to teach there.

and I guess probably c) that someone else has mentioned easier for protection/privacy in a private school I should imagine.

and as for the "hope" aspect of it. Regardless of what he does (or doesn't) achieve while in office (and he did say in his acceptance speech it wasn't going to happen overnight ) he HAS given hope to many ethnic groups around the world, I mean lets face it - how many people ever thought there's be a black or mixed race president of America???

Just because you admire someone, does not mean you blindly follow them. Anybody can see that he faces enormous challenges with respect to the Middle-East, the economy, social inequalities etc. Do you honestly think that he or his admirers are unaware of the magnitude of the task ahead of him?

Also anybody who thinks that he may not have written that letter has obviously not read his self penned books. "Dreams from my father" was written before he embarked on a political career. It is an extraordinary, honest, revealing insight into his life, the things that shaped him and in particularly, how race issues in the USA affected his perception of who is and where he belongs.

As for the letter being schmaltzy, so what? Are some of you so jaded and cyncial that you cannot appreciate the well meaning intentions within the letter. Jeez!

Barack Obama is what the world needs now, somebody who sees himself as part of the global community as oppose to the outgoing muppet who dealt in absolutes like "you are either with us or against us". I have no doubt that he will prove himself to be a competent, hardworking and unifying President, not because I blindly believe him, but because of who he is and his track record.

what track record? He just started the job today!

He has done other things previously you know

No apology then Spokette.

Re private school: Jimmy Carter's daughter managed at the local state school without any noticeable detriment to her future life. It is very difficult to comment with authenticity on the hopes for American education when you are opting out of the system yourself.

Actually, he hasn't done that much at all as a politician, he is an unknown, a very inexperienced guy. He has written a lot. Here's hoping that the actions live up to the rhetoric. It is a tall order.

Yep. Jaded, and cynical, that's me. Politics to the strains of Burt Bacharach just don't inspire anything but cynicism. After all, I hummed 'Things can only get better' along with everyone else.

That he has well-meaning intentions I don't doubt for a second. That he will be able to enact any of them to good effect, I'm much less sure. The feteing he's getting is quite extraordinary, that's for sure. I'm just impatient for the day after tomorrow.

Well, I like him. I don't think this is 1997.. I think he's a good, family man, with good intentions.