Former right-wing evangelical imagines Obama will become one of the best and most loved American Presidents

A co-worker of mine recently forwarded me a powerful essay predicting the state of America and the world both during and after the presidency of Barack Obama. This (hopefully) prophetic piece was written over a month before the 2008 election by author Frank Schaeffer, a “white, former life-long Republican,” “proud father of a Marine” and son of the late evangelist and Religious Right leader Francis Schaeffer.

The following is an excerpt of Schaeffer’s October 8 essay “Obama Will Be One of the Best (And Most Loved) American Presidents”:

"Great presidents are made great by horrible circumstances combined with character, temperament and intelligence. Like firemen, cops, doctors or soldiers, presidents need a crisis to shine.

Obama is one of the most intelligent presidential aspirants to ever step forward in American history. The likes of his intellectual capabilities have not been surpassed in public life since the Founding Fathers put pen to paper. His personal character is also
solid gold. Take heart, America: we have the leader for our times.

I say this as a white, former life-long Republican. I say this as the proud father of a Marine. I say this as just another American watching his pension evaporate along with the stock market! I speak as someone who knows it's time to forget party loyalty, ideology and pride and put the country first. I say this as someone happy to be called a fool for going out on a limb and declaring that, 1) Obama will win, and 2) he is going to be amongst the greatest of American presidents..."

Read the full essay here. Click here for the Huffington Post's archive of Frank Schaeffer’s insightful columns.