As a person who was thrilled when John McCain won the Republican primaries, I was pushed to vote for Barack Obama by none other than John McCain!
Barack launched his campaign with the hopes of bringing people together and talking about the issues of the time. When McCain got the nomination, I was sure this would be a campaign of ideas and issues and not the usual sling fest. Oh boy, was I wrong! McCain’s campaign used every trick in the book to make Barack look bad. Imagine accusing someone of being a Muslim and sitting in a church for 20 years at the same time! That clearly goes to show that even in the negative message there was no consistency. All that mattered was, he’s black so let’s just create doubt. More doubt the better. As I watched Barack having to take time off from the discussion of the issues to defend himself, to say that he’s not a Muslim, not a terrorist and not a Marxist or a socialist, that he was a patriot and yes American, I made up my mind. At one point it seemed like he was explaining the “relationship” he had with every random person he met at a neighborhood Wal-mart! Then I decided that I am not going to support a man who’s willing to lose his honor to win an election, albeit it’s probably his last chance.
If you knew these candidates you would know not only that John McCain the senator and John McCain the nominee were not the same people, Sarah Palin the Governor and Sarah Palin the candidate were not the same either. Sarah was so articulate and outright boring with details in the 2006 Alaskan Gubernatorial debates, she sounded like Al Gore! She didn’t look anything like the know nothing hockey mom that the McCain campaign is made her look like. The McCain campaign has done a disservice to her. The question is why? In the tactics that they used for her and the tactics they used against Barack, the message is clear that they had to make a choice: Whom to go after? Do I go after the Rush Limbaugh groupies or do I go after the moderate smart ones? They decided to go after the groupies. Now why is the insulting part. They believed there were more of them. Now that I cannot support.
On the issues, I am not sure if I am all that for Barack. I do believe to a large extent in uninterrupted free markets and free flow of people and with people, ideas. Americans don’t need protection. We can compete. Right or wrong, that’s what I believe and Barack and Biden may see things differently. But this is the key. I decided that in this election, given the way it was run, it was more important to send a message to all kids that they can dream big and be whatever they wanted to be regardless of their race or religion or national origin. That you don’t have to be an hyphenated American if you are not white. That the presidency is not an exclusive dream of white male kids. And no one will ever question your patriotism or American-ness just because you are not typical but are “tolerated”.
So in conclusion that’s why I voted for him. Though I am not sure if Barack will spread the wealth if elected, his election will certainly spread the hope.
