an answer for Dan Thomasson

I came across his column in the Corpus Christi paper, that was a stupid, idiotic waste of pixels or ink. Don't bother with it, if you ask me. But it asked Senator Obama what he would do if he actually won, as if there is no substance to him. And so in ten minutes I ranted back at him, probably taking more time to answer him than he took to write the column in the first place, since he certainly did no research.

Anyway, here was my answer.

This column is idiotic, I am afraid to say. If you want to know what he will do as president, go to his website. Look at his position papers. Read the Audacity of Hope. It is all in there, and, as opposed to the junior senator from New York, he did not need a ghost writer.

But let's get specific. What will he do? He will close Guantanamo Bay's detainment camps. He will pursue universal health care without mandates. He will pursue sensible changes to the laws governing credit cards, so that companies cannot raise their rates on old debts, and must seek permission before changing the terms of the contracts.

Most of his supporters are not supporting him because we "believe it is more important to elect a black to the presidency than a woman." We believe he is the best person to be President of the United States, regardless of race, gender, creed, or orientation.

As for his legislative accomplishments, there are several worth noting. He wrote a law that won the support of law enforcement, legal communities, and victim advocates to require that interrogations and confessions be recorded on video for all capital cases. It has become a model for similar laws across the country. He has passed a law to make government spending more transparent to taxpayers. He worked with Senator Luger to pass legislation to fund and supervise the disposal of weapons before they can find their way into the hands of people we'd rather not have them. Take a look at Obsidian Wings for more on this topic.

Evidently, doing any research is too much to ask for your column. Evidently, you believe that because you have charisma, you cannot have substance. You are, however, wrong. You don't get to be a Constitutional Law professor at the University of Chicago based on charisma.

All that glitters is not gold, it is true. But gold does glitter, and Senator Obama is gold.