Obama is not an Asshole

Here's something I like about Obama:
I haven't seen a lot about this in the media, but I think an interesting pattern has been emerging wherein he gets hit with dirty politics and actually tries to take the high road instead of fighting fire with fire, which is a good way to continue burning things down.
For instance, people were upset that Obama chose a known black as his fake pastor, and they said dumb things about it. Obama responded with the best speech in America by any politician since Roosevelt, and it was nuanced and intelligent and didn't disown his friend. He eventually had to do that, but only after Wright turned out to be an actual crazy asshole.
And the gas tax thing. McCain comes up with a stupid plan that will sound good to stupid people. Clinton takes a look at her constituency and decides to back it as well. Obama says, "Well that sounds like a dumb idea," and explains why it is a dumb idea.
And more recently people have criticized him for being willing to talk to leaders of countries that Serious Politicians want to bomb. Instead of doing the easy thing and adopting a Republican foreign policy instead, he has basically continued to hold a sophisticated foreign policy not based on furious erratic bombings.
Sometimes his integrity has paid off (gas tax) and some times not so much (Wright), but I think it's cool that he maintains his positions and defends them even when it requires a patient, possibly complicated explanation. It's nice to be treated like a thinking adult even though I am still an American voter.