Cross-posted a Dkos HERE.

First, wanted to link Sen. Obama's speech today to the League of United Latin American Citizens. It was a good speech and it is HERE.

As to the enthusiasm gap, does it exist? Even if it does, does it matter?

There has been an inordinate amount of hand-wringing of late [myself included] concerning the waning enthusiasm for Barack Obama. I wrote one such diary HERE.

I've come to view the matter in fairly simple terms. If my previous enthusiasm for Sen. Obama's campaign was at a level ten and subsequent actions took it down to about a eight--it's still about five levels better than where it normally is.

First, a little context with a brief personal preface.

September the 11th was the best thing that ever happened to me, which I hesitate to even write, but allow me to explain.

Until then, I sort of drifted through life, disconnected from my surroundings and my place and role as a United States citizen. I took what I had for granted; I didn't appreciate the blessings I had been given.

The attacks forced me to confront that out of all the people that have ever inhabited our planet, I had the singular good fortune and blind dumb luck to be born in the United States in the latter half of the 20th century. However, despite my good fortune, I wasn't working to ensure that others shared the opportunities that had been provided for me.

Karl Rove once famously stated [actually, probably more 'notoriously stated' but . . . ]:

"Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 in the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers"

Notwithstanding the generally repugnant nature of the statement, Karl was possibly about half right in my case. Not the idiotic therapy line, but rather the broader introspective nature of the response. While Karl and his conservative friends tripped over themselves to strike a tough pose and 'prepare for war', many liberals and progressives contemplated what would both strengthen our country and avoid war.

I joined the military at 33 and ran around with the kids for nine weeks; constantly noting words, such as 'duty', 'honor', and 'integrity', that were inscribed on the barracks wall. In a sense, the attacks crystallized my need to serve and to do the heavy lifting that's required to, as Barack Obama has stated, 'perfect our union'. It's a method of 'perfecting our union' that is borne of shared sacrifice and hard work.

It's been stated many times that '90% of life is showing up'. However, like many people, I wasn't willing to put in the extra time until I had been motivated by the events at hand.

I subsequently returned to finish my college degree and have since graduated from law school. I'm generally not that taken with speeches, but I remember one given to a small group of soldiers operating near the Pakistani border in Afghanistan. It was given by an unassuming army reserve general. The speech was just a reminder that, in our American culture of consumption, we had a unique opportunity to make an investment in the future of some people in need. A chance to possibly make a few lives better through hard work and sacrifice. It was a simple message and just as relevant here, today.

This long-winded wind-up brings me to my support for Sen. Obama. Barack has inspired me to become more involved in ensuring that we leave a better country and world than the one ino which we were born. Nothing too complicated. Despite the dip in my enthusiasm, since I had already walked about ten steps forward and then subsequently taken two back because of issues like FISA, I'm still eight ahead of where I was.

Politics is about inspiring people to get involved; to believe that they can make a difference; to be believe that something can be more than the sum of its parts. It's about building consensus. As a lifelong registered independent that now proudly refers to himself as a Democrat, I understand the importance of bringing new people into the fold. There is a point where you can compromise away your beliefs, but I don't think Barack Obama is tip-toeing up to the line just yet.

As corny as it sounds, Barack Obama has inspired and motivated me to work for our common goals. And this is no small feat given my general level of cynicism and snarkiness.

It's hard to quantify how important the ability to generate that type of enthusiasm is in a political campaign; and it's also important to effectively govern.

I'm a firm believer that people want to be inspired; they want to feel good about the direction in which the country is headed because, in essence, it allows us to feel better about ourselves. That is the liberal/progressive form of therapy. People will sacrifice and work if they are asked; rather than simply being told to go shop and consume.

We have many serious problems to address and it's going to take energy, enthusiasm and political will in order to move the needle. Barack Obama is, far and away, the best candidate in my lifetime to make that happen. I hope others feel as strongly and will share their stories of why they support Sen Obama.

VOLUNTEER. VOTE. DONATE.