It's not looking good for poor Hillary as we approach the Texas primary, her "firewall" against Obama-mania.

The polls are inconclusive right now, with some showing an Obama victory and others showing a Clinton victory, and ALL showing it neck and neck. This in a state that was supposed to be a shoe-in for Clinton.

It appears the long-standing Clinton connections and base of support in Texas are unraveling as more and more people jump on the Obama bandwagon. Another nail in the coffin has unfolded in the last couple of days as the Houston Chronicle, the Dallas Morning News, the San Antonio Express-News, the Star-Telegram of Fort Worth, and the Austin American-Statesman, the five largest newspapers in the state, have unanimously endorsed Barack Obama.

These newspapers all said in print what I've been thinking for a long time. On policy matters, there's little difference between the two candidates. But on matters of inspiration and leadership, there's no choice but that Obama's the better candidate. We need a JFK right now, and unfortunately, I don't see any "ask not what your country can do for you" speeches coming from a President Hillary Clinton. Even the most strident Hillary backer I know admits that he feels inspired when he hears Obama speak.

Hillary's an insider, a Washington bureaucrat. Yes, she'll be able to wheel and deal, and, with a lot of compromising, get some of her programs passed. Obama will bypass the Congress and go straight to the people. He'll inspire us to want to see his programs enacted, and we, in turn, will turn the heat up on Congress. And that's the way our democracy is supposed to work.

For the first time in decades, Americans (especially young Americans) are feeling empowered by the political process. I'm not hearing the same old "it doesn't matter who gets elected" apathy anymore. The lines at the polling places, the excitement, the new voters coming out of the woodwork. These are all signs that a huge change is in the wind. And there's no candidate who wears the face of change other than Barack Obama.

I am really conflicted about the race, because I do like Hillary, kind of. But I've realized that my support for Hillary is based on a sense that she deserves it, along with my affection for Bill. But, is that a good enough reason to give someone my vote?

My biggest fear of another Clinton presidency is that we will go back to the days where the president is spending all of her time fighting off the trash being hurled at her. The Clintons inspire such a visceral hatred from the opposition that I have no doubt they will spend millions of dollars trying to dig up the most trivial scandal. I don't want to return to that. It's not likely we'll see that with an Obama presidency. Even Republicans like him. It's very telling that a top McCain staffer has already said that he'll resign from the position if Obama is the nominee because he has too much respect for him to be involved in a campaign against him.

Every generation or so, our political process goes through a revolution that sets the course of this country for decades. The last time it happened was in 1980, when conservatism swept the country. This dried up "let the rich get richer at the expense of the not rich" mentality has had it's day in the sun. And Barack Obama is the best candidate to throw it in the trash where it belongs.