It's been a long fight in the democratic primary, as you all know if you haven't been doing research on Antarctica. But it's over. Obama makes history as the first African-American candidate for president for a major party.
This time around history was going to be made one way or another. A woman or a black man, either way it was going to open doors and, hopefully, open a few mids. That's good. I am truly pleases that women and minorities are being taken seriously in this country. I only wish I could support one of them.
But I can't.
I'm glad that this day has come, and we are taking new steps into a future not based on gender or color. I'm going to take that step boldly and say that I will not vote for someone, anyone, just because they are black or are a woman. As many news anchors commented, the actually positions held by Clinton and Obama are indistinguishable, and on too many levels those positions are untenable for me.
Obama's campaigners may all dance around to strains of "We Are the Champions" today, but what is at stake here isn't an ideal, or a feeling, or a vague sense of "change." What's at stake is the future of our country, and I honestly believe Obama's economic plans are disastrous. I think his plan to pull the troops out of Iraq without adequate regard to the safety of that country is unethical. I think his words are big and his plans are small. I think he is a talker instead of a doer. And he has no real history of "crossing the aisle" and working on compromise. This "agent of change" that has so many people excited is going to be one more polarizing politician.
My money and my vote will go to the one candidate that actually does have a history of being different, a maverick, and agent of change, and an aisle crosser. John McCain.
In November if Obama loses to McCain I'm sure the U.S. will get all kinds of harassment and censure from Europeans on how we are backwards and unable to vote a black man into office. That, of course, will only show their own bias. Are we suppose to think about skin color or not??? But if McCain wins it will be because this country really is ready for change... a change from polarizing politics to real solutions.
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6 comments:
This has been a very difficult decision for me Carrie and I have decided to break with my past and vote for Obama this year.. the first time I have voted for a democrat for president since 1976.
I did not think it unethical to leave Vietnam and do not feel it is unethical to leave Iraq. I don't think that their government will ever step up to the plate (as we were hoping they would ala the surge strategy) as long as we are over there in force fighting their battles. I think that they will be hindered from becoming a great nation as long as we do their fighting for them.
McCain's position on this is way too similar to Bush for my taste. Guess that is why I am voting different in 2008.. of course I am still voting for Republican for senator and congressman.
Cheers, Bob
Hey, Carrie. Yes, this is definitely a historic year, and I've blogged off and on about the election. It's going to be interesting to see how things develop in the coming months, and I've actually been engaging both Obama and McCain supporters to get both sides of things. I was enthusiastic about Obama in the primary, but I'm still trying to decide whether that was because I was getting caught up in the euphoria, whether he represented genuine change, or whether I just wanted Hillary out of the race.
Still don't know...
Bob,
I understand why many formerly Republican voters are deciding to turn to Obama this year. Well, I understand it on one level. I think very few of us want the status quo, so if McCain seems like that to you, I get you not wanting to vote for him.
On the other hand I just can't get past the fact that, with the charisma stripped away, Obama is simply the most liberal senator in the country. Bill Clinton was a centrist compared to Obama.
Republicans have totally dropped the ball on reducing government size, along with several other areas where they are suppose to be different from Democrats. However, past failure aside, we certainly have no chance of the Democrats reducing the size of the government or the government's interference in our personal freedoms. IMO, our only hope of reducing the size of government is voting in someone willing to actually do that, not someone, like Obama, who has the opposite intention right from the beginning.
I honestly like McCain, too.
Thanks for reading!!
NoVa Dad-
Thanks for reading along!
I think you are where a lot of people are right now. It will be a very interesting 5 months while people figure out if they really want Obama's policies, or if they were more drawn to his charismatic style and oratory skills.
People will be looking hard at McCain to see if they believe he is truly a maverick, or just the same-ole, same-ole.
Like I said, I just hope they tackle the issues, and the means of implementing their policies (like how they're planning to pay for things), and stay away from Hillary-esque style of under-handed scare tactics and personal attacks.
When I think about voting Republican again I think of this:
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. -Albert Einstein
Great quote, Bob! ;-)
I've wondered about my sanity more than once.
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