"He's One Of Us, You Know."

Doha, Qatar

Joseph is among the countless young men who journeyed to the Persian Gulf to find opportunity. He is a Kenyan working here as a pool cleaner at the Ritz Carlton. He asked me this morning, “Are you an America?” When I confirmed his supposition, he then ventured, “Are you voting for Barack?’ I told him that I respected Obama, Clinton and even McCain to some extent, but that I was definitely voting for Barack in the belief that he is the only candidate capable of the transformational leadership my beloved nation so desperately needs. Joseph flashed a broad smile and said, “He’s one of us, you know. He’s Kenyan.” I said that he is Kenyan and Kansan and an American with formative experiences in Indonesia and Hawaii, too, which gave me hope that he could move us beyond the insularity, fear, anger and hatred of recent years. Joseph responded, “Nobody likes America here, but maybe Barack can change that.” Maybe. Just maybe.