Psychobabble

This is lovely.

Play of the Day: Lesson in becoming prez, April 1, 2008:

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - Eight-year-old Michael LaCoste wanted to ask Barack Obama a question.

The young boy got his chance at a campaign stop with the Democratic candidate Tuesday.

"How do you get to be, how do you run for president," asked Michael.

The crowd applauded and gave a little "ahhhh" as the Illinois senator started to answer.

"You have to work really hard in school and get really good grades. You have to do everything that grandma tells you to do," Obama said. "When you get out of school, then you've got to go to college. When you get out of college, you've got to get a job that's hopefully helping other people..."

"And if you do all those things, then you might just be a president someday," Obama said.

The moment was more than sentimental.

Asked about the exchange after the event, Michael said "it was cool" before being quickly interrupted by his grandmother, 51-year-old Sylvia LaCoste.

"Tell him you're not going to be a gangster," said Sylvia.

"I'm not going to be a gangster," repeated Michael.

His grandmother said two weeks earlier, the young boy had declared he wanted to become a gangster, "so I sat him down and told him about good examples, and about Obama. This is a great thing. It's going down in family history."

The Constitutional requirements to be eligible for the Presidency are:

1) to be a US Citizen by birth;

2) to be at least 35 years of age; and

3) to have resided in the United States for at least 14 years.

There are other requirements 1) to not have previously held the office and been removed by conviction for an impeachable offense, 2) nor to have served as President or Acting President for more than six years.

Senator Obama missed an opportunity to educate this young man, and show his own qualifications for the job by demonstrating knowledge of US law.

Senator Obama's response to this young man's question is pure, unadulterated feel-good psychobabble.