Tuesday Barack Obama gave one of the great speeches I have ever heard. The subject happened to be race, but it could have been anything. At the end of a great speech, a reasonable person should never be left asking "yeah, but what about…?" This was a perfect speech, it was typical of Barack Obama’s thinking about issues and it’s why I want Barack Obama as my next president.

Barack had to answer the questions raised by the rants of his preacher, mentor and friend Reverend Wright. I won’t get into nitpicking; there were a few offensive and arguably racist comments. I wasn’t offended because I understand the anger, but then I’m not running for President and Obama is. Nancy predicted his speech would "hit it out of the park." Turns out she actually understated the case.

Barack Obama told us his uniquely American story. Most of us know the highlights about a mom from Kansas and a dad from Kenya. He explained what it was like growing up in two worlds. He condemned the remarks of his preacher without condemning the man. He explained his relationship with the preacher and Reverend Wright’s place in our society—as a former marine and Biblical scholar--all the while keeping his message in the subtext. What was wrong with what the preacher said? According to Obama, the preacher spoke as if America were static. As if the country hadn’t changed. Yeah, it was the change message again. And naturally, Obama’s presence on that stage in Philadelphia is proof that America has changed. We have come a long way.

But Barack reminded us anyway about the horrible treatment blacks have received in America. He made sure we knew where his friend the preacher was coming from. This is where a speech turns. This is where even a good speaker usually takes the comfortable route and bring his side home. Only the great speaker will pull what Barack Obama pulled. Only a great speaker will make his argument even stronger by showing how well he understands yours.

That’s what he did when he talked about how busing and quotas and affirmative action, while helping black people who had been systematically disadvantaged, had the consequence of screwing countless white people who had never practiced any of the racism that caused the imbalances in the first place. He argued the white points as convincingly as he did the black points. I haven’t heard the reverse discrimination argument put better in a country bar. At the end he chastised his friend but didn’t end their friendship. After the eloquent explanation, I could understand why and accept it.

Barack Obama reminded us again that important subjects are not simply--excuse the expression—black and white. He has not promised a silver bullet that will cure our country’s ills. He’s never said wishing will make it so. Inheren t or spoken in his message of change is the notion of the hard work required to achieve that change. He has continually behaved like an adult while treating us like adults.

Sadly, this isn’t a time for adults. This is national election time in America, when we engage in a billion-dollar eighth-grade popularity contest over nonsense. Candidates accuse each other of outlandish things and take credit where no credit is due. These people aren’t future leaders, they’re creeps. And I have had to choose among the lesser of evils. Until now.

I know the moment I became a Barack Obama supporter. No questions, no courtship, no intro. He walked out on that stage at the Democratic National Convention and blew me away. He talked of one America. He inspired me to believe again in that one America of reasonable people. It is an America I believe we have to find before we can fix any of the really serious problems we face. I knew that night that I’d found the person I have been looking for since I was old enough to vote. I have always wanted to vote for a presidential candidate. Finally, I am. I’m voting for Barack Obama in the primary next month.

By every metric he’s been the best candidate on paper and in spirit. Take the fund-raising. Have you asked yourself why a guy that everyone says has no experience has raised more money than anyone--ever? He’s raised more than those other candidates with all of their so-called experience and gravitas. And he’s done it in the spirit of campaigns. He has more donors than anyone—ever. Little folks who send him $100, sort of the way we sort of imagined the world of politics before lobbies and special interest groups started buying candidates wholesale.

How about the votes themselves? Obama went to all those little states where Clinton didn’t bother. He had organizations on the ground and ads on the air. He won all those little states whose votes—and certainly whose voters—count as much as in the big states. He went to those states because he cared about the votes. Just like he said. Come to think of it, all politicians say they care. I’ m finally voting for one who acts like it.

Oh, I’ve voted off and on since Nixon in ’72. Back then I voted for McGovern, but I didn’t really. I really voted against Nixon. Next I voted against Ford for pardoning Tricky Dick. By the time 1980 rolled around I had devolved to the point where, rather than voting against, I was voting on principle. I went for John Anderson, who didn’t have a chance to win, rather than vote for Carter or Reagan. Then I gave up simply throwing my vote to the wind. I decided to vote for someone the next time. I nominally voted for Al Gore in 2000 and I love the guy, but he ran a horrible campaign. And of course I voted against Bush in 2004.

This political stuff comes down to trust. You have to trust that a person can do what he or she says. I am not going to spend any time today talking about what the other candidates can or cannot do. I’m here to say I’m going with the person whose every action has told me he can get us moving in the right direction. I’m voting for the person who inspires me. I’m voting for Barack Obama next month. I hope you’ll be voting for someone, too.