Just the other day, I was remarking that Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain were both presenting as a couple of classy candidates for first lady.

I revised my opinion yesterday.

Michelle Obama was blasted from all sides after telling supporters at a Milwaukee rally that “Hope is making a comeback, and, let me tell you, for the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country. Not just because Barack is doing well, but I think people are hungry for change.”

I can get on board with that statement. Michelle Obama and I are the same age (roughly), and I can say that her words captured the way I’ve been feeling as the Obama movement catches the country by storm.

Think about it. For people of my age, our adult lives have so far been politically defined by the administrations of Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton and Bush Jr. First we suffer through the Reagan/Bush Sr. regimes — everyone remember “trickle-down” economics and the Iran-Contra scandal? I don’t want to go too far down that particular memory lane, so I’ll leave it at that

Then, while Clinton was in office, truly working toward prosperity and political sanity, things got really creepy. In fact, the continuing and relentless efforts of the conservative right to derail the Clinton administration, from day one, proved a harbinger for the current and utterly embarrassing political disaster, otherwise known as the Bush/Cheney regime, that we’ve had to watch unfold over the last eight years. After George Bush Jr. was handed an election he didn’t win by a not-very-neutral Supreme Court, he went primetime with an agenda that the majority of the country didn’t want. AND THEN, he had the gall to take our country to war under false pretenses.

So, yeah, some of us have been feeling a little UN-proud of our country in recent years. A little alienated from the interests of the powers that be. A little like the political process had been hijacked.

So I won’t fault a grown woman for speaking THIS truth: Barack Obama is making me, and millions of others, want to believe that we can make something different happen through the very political process we’ve come to view in recent years with a certain, shall we say, cynicism? We’ve got a charismatic, intelligent and politically savvy black man who’s pulling people together in a way no one has seen in a long time. He’s a rock star. And anyone who says this isn’t a defining moment needs a quick and dirty primer on American History.

And it just so happens that Michelle O. is married to the man who’s derailed the conventional wisdom in this primary season. I guess she just can’t help but notice. . .

On the other hand. . .I’m not sure who was behind this smug little rebuttal by Cindy McCain: “I am proud of my country. I don’t know about you? If you heard those words earlier, I am very proud of my country.”

And, later, when McCain was asked about whether his wife’s statement was a response to what Michelle O. had said, he deferred to his wife. Who said: “I just wanted to make the statement that I have and always will be proud of my country.”

And she stood there looking like every bit like Barbie after Ken told her she looked fat in her dress.

I lost a good deal of respect for Lady McCain in those moments. Underlying her politically righteous statements was the same old message that Bush, Cheney & Co. have been assaulting the American people with ever since the first THINKING person questioned the Iraq war: only TRAITORS doubt the good ol’ US of A.

So our girl Cindy stood up and gave notice: she’s faithful and loyal; she’s in it for better or for worse; she will not defame our great nation.

Good for you, Cindy.

But I’ve got Michelle’s back. Because she spoke my truth. And true patriots aren’t afraid to challenge conventional authority. Just ask John Hancock and George Washington, Susan B. Anthonhy and Martin Luther King, Jr.

This mama’s for Obama.

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