A hug is worth a thousand words.

My friend Allyson and I drove to N.H. to see Senator Obama make his victory/concession speech - I wanted to get a sense of the man outside of that box we call TV. I came away with the realization that this is not a Barack Obama candidacy this is a Barack/Michelle candidacy.

Both Allyson and I were awestruck by the grace and power of Michelle She literally glided across that stage. When Barack came out and stood with his arms raised in unison to ours, Michelle came up to his side and wrapped her arms around his waist as his stayed extended out to us…as if we were connecting to Michelle through the body of Barack. All of us unified in that moment of shared intimacy – an all-inclusive intimacy that knows no bounds.

I thought of the words about his wife from his Iowa victory speech:

“I think it makes sense for me to thank the love of my life, the rock of the Obama family, the closer on the campaign trail.”

And I realized he meant every word, he truly loves Michelle (and needs her) and wouldn’t it be refreshing to have a leader that knew how to love a person, not just a people (and thus power)? Can it be any other way?

Beyond that, I came away feeling better about America with the realization that woman are finally moving onto their half of this yin and yang scale. Elizabeth Edwards, Michelle Obama, and Hillary Clinton are claiming their rightful role in the self-determination of political life - not just family life.

Which brings me to the website Open Democracy, I was first attracted to the 50.50 initiative because as they write:

“a global debate without the female half of humanity is neither global nor democratic.”

There are a number of great podcasts and articles created by woman. One of the podcasts that stood out for me is “empowering women in the middle east” where a woman named Hibaaq Osman stresses that “dignity” is the key. And at one point she asks what is the difference between the fundamentalist in her country forcing her to wear a headscarf and the French government forbidding her to wear one?

It is striking that with all the rhetoric the Bush administration spouts about bringing Democracy to the Middle East, we never hear them stress gender equality.

Forget the Bushies anyway…the enlightenment of gender equality will not come from rhetoric, only example…and the more Michelle, Elizabeth, and Hillary shine, the more the woman of the middle east will see the light…and follow it.