I still admire the hell out of President Obama. I admire his kindness, his love and pride for his family and nation, his brilliance, his strength, and his ability to step back and take a considered and rational look at any problem. And I still think he is darned funny. Considering how utterly intractable Congress has been through all of his Presidency, and what absolutely foul forms of hatred have been aimed at him, I remain amazed and inspired by his ability to keep his cool and his humanity.

Admire is such a strong word. Truth be told I'm not sure I admire anyone at all. Maybe my Mom...

I suppose, even though he's been gone almost 25 years, my Dad. He was a city firefighter, and worked hard to provide for his family. Never raised his voice at us. And, as far as I knew, was really well-liked by friends and co-workers, and that's as good as it gets in my book. He died just as we started a family, so he was never around to help me learn the ropes as a father, or play with his grandchildren.