Letter from an ex-pat

Obama had a conference call recently with ex-pats (Americans, like my sister and parents, who lives overseas) and an ex-pat friend forwarded me this email from a friend of his -- an American who lives in France:

I am sorry for a large group email but am writing after sitting in on
a conference call that Senator Barack Obama did this evening for all
interested expats around the world. We were told that expats from a
couple dozen countries were in on the call. Some quite impressive
speakers were on the line also, other expats and recently repatriated
Americans, all of us disenchanted - to put it mildly - with what
recent history has done to our once great nation.

Before this evening I felt a sense of hope that I'd not felt for many
years, at least six to be exact. Sen. Obama speaks to almost all of
my beliefs on almost every topic. He didn't say anything new on the
call, but what I heard without seeing his youthful appearance on the
television, was so eloquent and mature without being self-serving
(well obviously he wants our donations and votes) but I was even more
impressed than I'd expected I'd be. His comfortability to not know
everything is so refreshing. He used a word (my fifty something
memory already forgets what it was) that one never hears used in
plural form and he paused after saying it and repeated it with and
ending such as used in symposia or memoranda, and said not sure I got
that right. It was not a clever ruse to show us he's normal but was
so natural and comfortable. His speech is so far superior and non-
pandering compared to all the others that I can't imagine anyone
voting for anyone other than him. Yes, I'm convinced. He should be
our next president.

He doesn't have Hillary's money machine, but I think he has
everything else we could ever hope for in a presidential candidate,
particularly in times like these. I think it's more of an asset that
he doesn't have vast experience in Washington, D.C. He is more
fresh. He appears authentic. The others with perhaps the exception
of Gov. Richardson don't come across to me as authentic.

I think he has a better grasp on what we must do to solve many ills
in the world inside and outside our borders, and I think he likely is
more of a tactician than the others in thinking ahead to how to
prepare for shift in world power in the not so distant future.

For the first time in my life, other than ticking off the box to
contribute to election campaign fund, I will be making a small
donation to his campaign. You all know that I don't easily part with
her retirement money but this time I will part with a bit and I am
hoping many of you will do the same. His website makes it easy to
contribute.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on his versus the other fine
Democratic candidates' approach this time around.

Best and bisous,

Victoria