The Obama campaign released this video earlier in the week, perhaps in part to answer the question “Who is Barack Obama” often posed by McCain and Palin at their recent rallies, just before someone yells “Kill Him!” or “Terrorist!”

It is a pretty moving piece, full of moments “between” the moments.

In a political environment where his opponents and their supporters attempt to dehumanize him, it’s important for people to see this. Please share it with your friends…

I often say living in San Francisco is akin to a living bubble. It’s among the many reasons I choose to live here. Acceptance is a part of its DNA. People are free to be who they are or who they choose to be.

I’m reminded of that every time I hear a story like this one. Kim Ji-Hoo, a young Korean actor who recently came out of the closet, was found dead in his apartment of an apparent suicide. The note found at the scene read “I’m lonely and in a difficult situation. Please cremate my body.”

Police and Kim’s mother said that he was a victim of public prejudice and discrimination; the announcement of his sexual orientation had taken a terrible toll on his personal life and his career.

Unfortunately this is hardly unique. Like the gay teen in Derby England who was goaded into jumping off a building just yesterday by an angry mob, or a gay Mormon back in 2000 who killed himself in the hopes it would change his church. There are many more of course, too numerous to do them justice here, the suicide rate thriving in a culture of intolerance and discrimination.

It goes without saying that it is terribly important never to forget these individuals and those who came before them, and unfortunately, those who will inevitably come after. Lives so filled with despair because society refused to accept them for who they were, they saw no recourse but to take their own lives.

And their sacrifice must not be in vain. EVERY SINGLE LIFE LOST must propel us forward in the fight for tolerance, acceptance, and equal rights.

As I sit in my office inside this bubble that is San Francisco, I’m not sure if that bubble is there to stop them from getting in, or from us getting out. I’m also reminded that the 10th anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s death was only yesterday. Wow. We have such long way to go…

For Kim Ji-Hoo and those who took the same path, I hope they are now in a better place.

The initial reviews are in and it’s not terribly good for McCain. Republicans are pulling out their yard signs and praying for the lives of their family and children.

Obama was THAT good.

Obama was poised, his answers substantive, and deflected McCain’s attacks with aplomb. But once again McCain dug deep into the history books for guidance, quoting Theodore Roosevelt’s famous line “Talk Softly and Carry a Big Stick” when discussing Pakistan. And this wasn’t the first time McCain has gone to that well. In the first debate he invoked Dwight Eisenhower to enforce a point on accountability, that was later to be found incorrect. While these are certainly important historical figures and we owe much to them, they have little or no impact on the modern voter.

For me the most memorable moment of the night is in the clip below when McCain referred to Obama as “That One” in a rather dismissive, perhaps even disrespectful tone, with regards to an energy bill that Obama voted for and McCain voted against.

I’m glad for Obama that McCain wasn’t actually carrying a stick.

As VP candidate Sarah Palin discussed Barack Obama’s alleged ties to William Ayers at a rally in Clearwater, Florida (surprise) today, one of her fervent supporters shouted “Kill Him!” Palin failed to rebuke them and moved on with her allegations. It’s now abundantly clear the McCain campaign is happy to foment it’s base into an angry frenzy to get them to get out and vote against Obama and his “terrorist pals“.

And earlier today at another rally, McCain allowed one of his supporters to call Barack Obama a terrorist without so much as a blink.

I’m not asking the candidates to control their supporters, I know that’s pretty much impossible. But at least call them out when they make such outrageous and incendiary statements. But they can’t even bother to do that. Just imagine the outrage on the right if something like this had happened at an Obama rally.

This is what the race has boiled down to. And we all may suffer for it.