The audacity of hope is just what we need right now. Audacity indeed. The word means fearless daring, a bold or insolent heedlessness of restraints, as of those imposed by prudence, propriety, or convention. That’s exactly what is needed in these early days of spring, 2009. Because convention isn’t working, propriety is an illusion, and prudence got tossed out the window by the scalliwags who made off with our national wealth, reputation and ideals long before Obama came to power.