Mike Seidle ...notes from the road

This election is one of the most polarized elections in history, until you look at it with the eyes of a 12 year old. It's no longer about dubious policy promises and outrageous claims about how bad the opposing candidate is. It's suddenly a war hero, a single dad, a black man and a mom from a small town. The best part is that all of the candidates are the kind of people I would want my children to meet. The story is amazing when you look at it that way. And it's amazing that we are guaranteed that something extraordinary and historic will happen in the near future:Either the first African-American president or the first female Vice President.While you may not agree with the policies or the people around either of these candidates, what is important is what a 12 year old of any gender race sees: I can do it, one day I can be president, too. Don't think for a minute that Obama walking on stage as a peer to McCain is lost on a young black boy. That is an image of progress that will not be forgotten. And don't think that young girls don't get what it means to have Sarah Palin, who lived in girl world (beauty contests and all) walk on stage, family in tow. That is another image of progress. What it means is that suddenly, the highest position in our nation is open to all. This year represents the death of a stereotype of what being "presidential" is. And it's about time. Thanks to Barak Obama and Sarah Palin for giving kids everywhere a glimmer of hope for their dreams of one day changing the world. I'll be back to the usual partisan bickering in the morning.