In the midst of all the hype and exposure of Barack Obama's primary Presidential campaign, it's easy to dismiss his supporters as media-driven fanatics, and the man himself as a superficial "rock star."

I'd like to offer a different perspective. Because, at least for me, a 24-year-old young white male, ex-military, single father, Obama's campaign is not only about the man or the position. It's personal. It's about us, the movement behind the man.

People around my age harbor tremendous disillusionment about this country. It starts when we realize that although we've been told our entire lives that anyone can be an astronaut or a movie star or the President, the reality is no matter how hard you work or how much you sacrifice, you'll never really make it. It continues when friends, parents, supervisors, professors, etc, advise you to temper my expectations with realism. The effort required is too great and the chances too small. The subtle pressure to instead aspire for an office with a door and three weeks paid is ever present.

It all results in a pessimism so universal we don't recognize it as wrong. The veil of youth has been pulled back, and we see the "real world" as it is. We know better than to dream now. We know better than to break our backs in pursuit of an ideal that can never realistically come to pass.

But recently, for the first time, we've seen someone who's snubbed his nose at reality and taken a shot at the biggest dream of all. I don't need to detail Obama's background, but as he said himself, "The odds of me being here are not very high."

His speeches of hope, change, and determination resound with us not only because of his delivery, but what they awaken within us. When spoken by a man who has bucked all odds to contend for the most powerful position in the world, these words make us think that maybe we too can overcome the obstacles and reach our own goals, however unrealistic they may be.

And as we've seen, that optimism is contagious. The road to achievement can get lonely at times. Before this, we've thought we're the only ones still holding onto that passion that set us on these courses in the first place. But at rallies, at the polls, on the street, and, yes, online, we begin to see we aren't the only ones striving for something better. Obama brings us together, but he is not what unites us.

The fervor of Obama's supporters is not idol worship. It's the expression of a shared desire for a better tomorrow. It's loud and exuberant out of necessity, because his campaign has become a parallel to each of our journeys toward our personal desires. We've had hopes of success systematically smothered before, and we didn't protest because we realized that's the way the world works. But this time we don't want to give up the fight. The now-famous slogan, "Yes, we can," manifests beyond the campaign trail. We hear it and believe that it applies to whatever matters most to us as individuals.

Which is why Obama's supporters view him as a Leader of We the People, not merely as our desired head of the government. He is not aiming to leverage politicians to enact policies and proposals in some hallowed hall thousands of miles away. He's asking each of us to see something we've always wanted but never had the courage or the strength to earn, and say to ourselves, "Yes, I can."

We've been yearning for this. We've been waiting for someone to challenge us. We want someone to tell us our dreams really are in reach if we have the will and ability to earn them. He does, and we believe him. Because if he can make it to the White House, we say to ourselves, surely I can publish a book, or start a business, or tour in a band, etc.

He says, "Yes, we can," and we believe it. That's why we will.

Here's the brand new, shorter version- four hundred and fifty words versus seven hundred.

As a 24-year-old single father, trying to juggle taking care of a baby girl, working full time, and finishing my college degree, I'd like to offer my perspective on the presidential campaign of Barack Obama. To me, it's not only about the man or the position. It's personal.

Many people my age harbor tremendous disillusionment about our country. We've been told our entire lives that anyone can be an astronaut or a movie star or the President, but the reality is no matter how hard you work or how much you sacrifice, you'll never really make it. Instead, you are advised to temper your expectations with realism. The effort required is too great and the chances too small. The subtle pressure to instead aspire for an office with a door and three weeks paid is ever present.

But for the first time, we've seen someone who's snubbed his nose at reality and taken a shot at the biggest dream of all. His speeches of hope, change, and determination resound with us not only because of his delivery, but what they awaken within us. When spoken by a man who has bucked all odds to contend for the most powerful position in the world, these words make us think that maybe we too can overcome the obstacles and reach our own goals, however unrealistic they may be.

Before this, we've thought we're the only ones still holding onto that passion that set us on these courses in the first place. And now we know the truth- Obama brings us together, but he is not what unites us. It's the expression of a shared desire for a better tomorrow. It's loud and exuberant out of necessity, because his campaign has become a parallel to each of our journeys toward our personal desires. We've had hopes of success systematically smothered before, and we didn't protest because we realized that's the way the world works. But this time we don't want to give up the fight. The now-famous slogan, "Yes, we can," manifests beyond the campaign trail. We hear it and believe that it applies to whatever matters most to us as individuals.

We've been yearning for this. We've been waiting for someone to challenge us. We want someone to tell us our dreams really are in reach if we have the will and ability to earn them. He does, and we believe him. Because if he can make it to the White House, we say to ourselves, surely I can publish a book, or start a business, or tour in a band, etc.

He says, "Yes, we can," and we believe it. That's why we will.

And another version version, suggested by Dumbo in the comments below, this one in at under 300 words.

For me, a 24-year-old young white male, ex-military, single father, Obama's campaign is not only about the man or the position. It's personal. It's about us, the movement behind the man.

People my age harbor tremendous disillusionment about this country. We have been told our entire lives that anyone can be an astronaut or a movie star or the President; the reality is no matter how hard you work or how much you sacrifice, you'll probably never make it. We settle for an office with a door and three weeks paid. The result is a pessimism so universal we don't recognize it as wrong. We stop dreaming.

But now, we've seen someone who's snubbed his nose at reality and taken a shot at the biggest dream of all. As he said himself, "The odds of me being here are not very high."
His speeches of hope, change, and determination resound with us not only because of his delivery, but what they awaken within us. When spoken by a man who has bucked all odds to contend for the most powerful position in the world, these words make us think that maybe we too can overcome the obstacles and reach our own goals, however unrealistic they may be.

That optimism is contagious. The road to achievement can get lonely at times. Before this, we've thought we're the only ones still holding onto that passion that set us on these courses in the first place. But at rallies, at the polls, on the street, and, yes, online, we begin to see we aren't the only ones striving for something better. Obama brings us together, but he is not what unites us.

The fervor of Obama's supporters is not idol worship. It's the expression of a shared desire for a better tomorrow.