As President Obama says, vote on Tuesday!

I watched President Obama on the Daily Show, and thought I might share my opinion. It was one of the best interviews I have seen on the show, with Jon Stewart asking good questions and pressing for serious answers. The President showed up as articulate, in command of the message he wished to deliver, good humored and smart. He made the case that in a year and a half his administration has some real accomplishments -- preventing a depression, passing a serious first step in the reform of the health care system, and regulating the financial industry. He also made the case that he believes major reforms in the political system are still needed, and they are possible but that they will take time.

I am convinced that Barack Obama really cares about the people on "Main Street". He says so frequently. His career from law school, to the tough neighborhoods in Chicago, to the legislatures in Illinois and Washington, and to the White House are totally consistent with that concern for real people who are having a tough time dealing with the economy. With his parents and his grandparents, how could he not feel for the ordinary people?

He is also someone who is quite realistic. He is unlikely to accept defeat on an important matter by insisting that his way is the only way to get it done. I suspect that he won the presidency by firing up the electorate, realizing that it would be hard to satisfy all the hopes he was raising during the campaign. He is a former Senator and he not only knows that you have to compromise to get legislation passed, but he has shown he is willing to do so for important legislation.

Thanks to both Jon Stewart for hosting the President and to President Obama for appearing!