I've hemmed and hawed quite a bit this election, trying to decide which candidate I like the most.
(And can I just pause to revel in that statement... because it's so nice to not be
settling for the lesser of two weevils!)
The reason I decided on Obama is because this is an election in which I feel its important to take a risk. We're at a point where we need a president who will dramatically shift the direction this country is taking. We can't play it safe this time. Hillary would be a fine president, and in a different election, I'd be happy to vote for her. Even John McCain probably wouldn't be a disastrous president (well, the bar has been set awfully low...). But for this election, we don't need a safe candidate, we need a bold candidate.
We need someone bold enough to remind the rest of the world that America really is a beacon of hope, that we are not to be feared. That we are here to lead, not hinder, the way to a better future.
We need someone bold enough to conduct an honest foreign policy.
We need someone bold enough to acknowledge our failing education and health care systems, and to lead the way towards the right solutions.
And we need a President who is bold enough to finally set this nation's sights squarely on overcoming the global climate crisis. The time for debating the nature of this crisis has long passed, its now time to debate how we survive it.
I'm not naive to the risks that an Obama candidacy and presidency pose. He's gonna have a heck of a fight on his hands against John McCain, and I worry that he won't have the spine to stick up for himself. I have no doubt that Hillary Clinton would dish it right back at John McCain. But I also know that Obama has the
potential to defend himself while also rising above the mudslinging.
And yes, absolutely, Barack Obama doesn't have the government experience that either Clinton or McCain offer. But if you read history, you know that the greatest presidents weren't necessarily the most experienced. The greatest presidents were those who surrounded themselves with advisors and a cabinet full of experience and insight, and who kept an open mind when listening to their advice before making a decision. If Obama can follow this precedent, which George Bush has so drastically disregarded, then I have no concerns that he'll be a competent President.
If asked, most voters would say that a candidate's stand on the issues is the most important criteria, but I think the issues are just the first test. When looking at a pool of candidates, we first weed out those with whom we disagree on the issues. If we're lucky, as we are this primary season, that won't narrow the field down to just one candidate. What, then, do you judge them on?
Their character. Their strength of will. Their vision. Their ability to inspire or move us. Their talent for showing us a different, better way forward. These are all the things that this country is in desperate need of. And these are all the things that Barack Obama is offering.
4 years from now, its possible we'll look back on this election and regret electing Barack Obama. He may turn out to be a horrible president. Anything is possible, and we can't really know for certain going into it. But regardless of how history judges him, we'll be able to say that we had the courage to take a chance on hope. That, in my opinion, is far better than playing it safe and being the same or worse off because of it. There's too much at stake, and we cannot afford not to be bold this November.
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