It's Official. I'm all in!

I know what you’re thinking.

“What” you say, “kind of loser is updating an admittedly unimpressive political blog on a Saturday night?”

An amped loser, that’s who!

I mean I'm not exactly a…aw, who am I kidding? I’m definitely a loser.

But after spending the better part of the day with a group of diverse strangers, all gathered together under a common political banner, here’s hoping I have attached myself to a winner.

I participated in one of several thousand “community kick-off” events hosted by Barack Obama’s online machine.

It was a last minute decision, and another late night Internet romp, that led me to register at Obama’s website. I found no fewer than 100 active groups within a 50-mile radius. On a whim, I picked the kick-off event that had the most RSVPs and off I went, my mother in tow for protection.

We were early. Real early judging by our hostess’ purple Velcro rollers. But true to great hostess form she did not let that stop her from offering a gracious welcome into a beautiful home in one of Charlotte’s most historic, read: expensive, neighborhoods.

Before long about 27 other guests joined us, all squeezed into a quaint and tastefully decorated sitting room.

The group included college students and people who spoke of "ol' Bobby Kennedy" with the wistfulness of those who were actually alive to witness the dying of Camelot. There was a straw vote that revealed the crowd to be 25% registered Republicans and 30% first time political activists. Men and women; black and white – we all shared our reasons for supporting Obama.

I listened as people I suspect are quite different from myself espoused some fairly intimate and passionate beliefs about why Barack represents them and their politics. From globe-trotters who have witnessed first-hand how deep anti-American sentiment runs to registered Republicans who prize common sense over party affiliation; they were all there.

The sentiment that surprised me the most was the oft expressed hope that electing Obama would send a signal to the rest of the world that America is no longer as myopic as our history suggests or as gleefully ignorant as the past 7 years prove.

Mature white woman waxed rhapsodic over the connection they feel with this young black man. An old acquaintance from his Harvard Law Review days offered personal antidotes that reinforced the popular opinion in the room that he is as real as he seems.

By the end of the day money had been raised, a few barriers maybe transgressed and promises to organize rallies and discussion salons made.

And, so, it is with great pleasure that I make the announcement dozens, or maybe two, of you have been waiting for: UnCommon Sense Politics is endorsing Barack Obama for President.

Your Militant Diva has harbored Obama love for quite some time now, but I finally decided that he is not only viable, but timely. It would seem that I am not the only one to come to that conclusion.

To that end, I encourage you all who do not know him to get to know him at http://www.barackobama.com/. Read his two books. As a writer and voracious reader I promise them to be engaging and authentic.

Check him out for yourself and if you feel the same warmth and inspired rightness of this man at this moment, get involved.

Maybe he cannot win as some claim. Maybe he won’t win, as is very much a real possibility. Maybe Hillary has Bill and Rudy has the right. Maybe Fred Thompson is, indeed, the Great White Hope.

But if he does not pull it off, I for one do not want it to be because those of us who truly believe in his message, his politics, and his potential did not do our personal best to support his cause.

After all, what could be more American than a group of passionate individuals crossing gulfs of party, gender, race, and age to gather for civil political discourse on a sunny day in Carolina?

What, indeed.