I have stayed pretty quiet about politics on DBB and intentionally so. I am someone who has always been very interested in politics and in the past have campaigned for people. In 2004 I worked for Wes Clark and in 2000 I registered as a republican so I could vote for John McCain in the primaries. After I campaigned for Clark and then again for Kerry in 2004 I was pretty much destroyed with Bush won a second term. I just felt like the bad guys had won and I was devastated. For the next few years I was completely disinterested in politics.
I am very liberal, but in this current election I have sort of stayed out of the way. On the issues Mike Gravel is pretty close to what I believe in… But of the two candidates who actually have a shot, I think they would both make good presidents. Hillary’s attempts at health care reform during Bill’s term in office were inspiring and I have always appreciated that. I think she knows how to get legislation passed and has a good track record in congress. I think her vote to go to war has been slightly blown out of proportion. The majority of people were in agreement with that vote at the time, but I was not one of them, and neither was Barack Obama.
In 2004 we all watched Obama become a celebrity over night. His speech at the Democratic National Convention (Part 2) inspired everyone in the party. I thought that a few years down the road he would make an excellent presidential nominee. I figured a few years in the senate was not enough to base a presidential run on. Clearly I was wrong.
With the two of them head to head I was worried about their electablity. Not only would it be harder to elect a woman or an African American, but I think that Clinton can be very unlikeable and Obama has the issues of inexperience. I told myself that I would just wait to see who came out on top, and then get behind that campaign. I didn’t even get my registration moved from VA, to NY in order to vote on Tuesday. I figured I would worry about it later, and until yesterday I was okay with that.
Last night, my mother changed my mind. My mom is extremely active in politics. She was the woman who got me to really get behind Wes Clark, and she is the woman who has pulled me into the Obama camp. After Tuesday, it might be too late, but I will do what I can in the next few days. What she said to me really made a difference. We had a two hour conversation about the campaigns and I had to pretty much hang up with her around midnight because I needed to go out. She told me that seeing Obama speak was like watching JFK. She said that he is the type of leader that makes people understand they have to make sacrifices for the good of the nation. She talked to me about how before Reagan Republicans and Democrats worked together and actually got things done. There were compromises. Obama is someone that can bring this country together. He is a leader.
I think she is right. When I hear him speak I get excited. He has the overwhelming support of the youth vote, not just because he is young, but because he is the future. He is the next chapter in American history. I believe that both of the Democratic candidates have what it takes to be a good president, but Obama has what it takes to be a great leader. Watching clip after clip of him on YouTube just gets me excited. He will move millions; he has moved me.
This country wants change, and Barack Obama is the man to bring it.
New York, vote wisely this Tuesday. Your country needs you.
