sometimes the small things signify

This morning Pres. Obama, VP Biden and Sen. Arlen Spector held a joint news conference. In welcoming Sen Spector to the Democratic Party. Pres. Obama mentioned the significance to Sen Spector of the Senator's father. How his father had been a force driving Sen Spector to serve and achieve in the public arena. As the three were leaving the podium, an open mike caught the Senator thanking the President for mentioning the Senator's father. It is that kind of human sensitivity, caring and insite into the emotional construct of collegues which will greatly help the President move his agenda forward. The public also sees this. His personal "likability" is significantly greater than agreement with his policies, all the polls show. How completely different than a Pres. and VP who seemed to know very little about what others thought or felt, and did not care either. Is this a difference between Republicans and Democrats? Well Reagan was the last likable Republican, and Pres Clinton was famous for his ability to empathize. Maybe as the Rebpulican party becomes more and more rigid, racially homogenized, and separated from the real world it will also know and care little for what anyone feels, or thinks. If you beleive gay marriage is the end of our country. If you beleive the idea of free markets is more important to people than jobs and homes, if you beleive our place in the world is to bully allies and use the military against those we disagree with, perhaps the only people who will join you also do not know or care what anyone else thinks or feels.