Why I am excited about Obama

A friend of mine stated recently that, while she wouldn’t be pulling the lever for the McCain/Palin ticket, it was mainly due to Palin.  She wasn’t excited about Obama, and asked if I could say something to change that.  I’ve been ruminating about it all day, not because I didn’t have anything to say, but because I have so much, and I want to say it well.

When the Democratic primary came down to Obama versus Clinton, I was excited, because I felt they were both candidates I could wholeheartedly support. But I was definitely excited about Obama in a way that I couldn’t feel even for Hilary.  Everyone talks about his oratory skills, and they are impressive, but that is just the attention grabber.  You have to look beyond that to find what got my commitment.

I think the first and most important thing is that he is a Constitutional scholar.  Not only was he a law professor, but he was president of the Harvard review.  He understands the constitution and the subtle (and not so subtle) aspects of that core document to a degree that no recent president can claim.  Probably that no President in history can claim, as much of the existing document has been  amended since the first Presidents.  The Constitution has taken  such a beating from the past administration that I look forward to someone that will not only take it seriously, but has made that a focus of his career.

Obama has done wonders with campaign finance reform.  His candidacy is financed by the people of this country to a degree that is unheard of in modern elections, and by modern again I mean since the birth of this nation.  He will not be beholden to any one large organization, leaving him free to make the best decisions for the country.

He worked with the people at the bottom of the pile, in the forgotten neighborhoods of Chicago.  This country may be based on the premise that all men are created equal, but it sure needs a helping hand in establishing that as the Law of the land.   I believe that this country still has not recovered from the scourge of slavery, even after a hundred and forty years.  When we have people claiming that affirmative action is racist, I want to take them to the Bronx, to Dorchester, to the south-side of Chicago, to Richmond and Oakland and Compton California and ask them if they truly feel that a child brought up there has equal opportunity to your average American.  Obama took that concept one step further:  instead of taking a high powered job after getting his law degree, he taught the law, and then put his talent to use working with the people of this country that need it most. It is true that I want a Democrat in office to ensure that the next set of judges appointed to the Supreme court will look out for individual liberties.   Obama, as a judicial scholar, is competent to take one of those positions himself;  he is certainly capable of  finding the best person in the country to appoint.

Obama has been saying for this whole campaign and for his whole career that diplomacy is the basis of a sound foreign policy.   When the hawks are saying to isolate Iran, Obama is calling for talks first.  It seems that the past five secretaries of states agree with him, including Colin Powell.  I feel that the war in Iraq was a mistake from the get go.  This is a bone of contention with some people.  Obama was not in the Senate yet when that vote was taken, but he was taking an active voice against the war. America had a unique opportunity after the attacks of September 11, 2001, and we squandered it.  Obama has presented a path that will help to reestablish America’s respect throughout the world, and, in doing so, make this country safer.

Obama has been talking with the best and the brightest people regarding to the economy.  Under Clinton, we went from budget deficit to budget surplus and the strongest economy since before the great depression.  The current administration has reversed both of those trends.  We need someone that will reestablish true fiscal responsibility and make sure that we all have jobs.  A lot of buzz has gone on about the two candidates tax plans, but I think the market meltdown has shown that the strength of the overall economy is more important than the taxes you pay.  Never mind the fact that more people will pay less taxes under Obama’s plan.  I want some on that will reduce the deficit, reestablish the safeguard that were emplaced after the great depression to make sure that it doesn’t happen again, and look out for the average American.  Obama has shown that he will do that.

It is easy to point at the weaknesses of the McCain/Palin ticket and state that they are sufficient reasons to vote for Obama.  But I have to state that for the first election since 2000, I am not so much voting against a candidate I don’t want as enthusiastically supporting a candidate I do want.  This guy should represent our country,  He’ll do it well, and we all will benefit.

Plus he just has the coolest name:   Barack.  Come on, you wish you had a name half as cool.

I try to argue dispaaionately, and so that may make take the sound and fury out of this article.  Yes, I am scared about the state of the country, mad at the abuses of the previous administration, and really ready for a achange.  Yes, I feel that this election is vital.  All those things heighten the emotion, but don’t change the fact that Obama is the most exciting, intelligent, capable, dynamic and all round strongest candidtate we’ve had since I’ve been old enough to vote.  Even if the country were at peace with a strong economy I would be fired up about this guy.  The fact that the next President is going to have to deal with a whole heap of trouble just raises the stakes.

3 thoughts on “Why I am excited about Obama

  1. Well said.

    Hope you can take a weekend or two in November to canvass in one of the key states: VA NH NV NC CO FL GA MI NM IN etc. Smart, articulate foot soldiers pounding the pavement in the swing states will win this election.

    Yes We Can!

    note: the real fight starts once he wins!

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