It is interesting to note that many people seem to support Barack simply because he offers an alternative to the horrible mismanagement that our country has experienced over the past eight years. To some extent, this is completely undestandable! There is, however, a higher purpose that can be achieved in working to bring Barack to the Presidency: Real Change.
Senator McCain is the handpicked successor and golden-boy of George W. Bush. As we have all seen, he does not -and will not- serve as a unifying force, either nationally or internationally. His policies would not differ from what we've already experienced. Senator Clinton, while being an admirable woman in most respects, is an "old-school" Democrat in the sense that she finds the campaigning to be an end unto itself. While running for the Senate, she promised to bring jobs to Western New York. When those jobs failed to materialise, she explained that she believed Al Gore would be President, and since that did not happen, her program would not come to pass. This is fairly typical of politicians who make promises they may be unable to keep.
Senator Barack Obama offers an alternative to the political system which sees the office as the goal, rather than serving the public, which is the goal of the office. Barack himself admits that the road to change will be difficult, but that we can face the challenges if we work together. This requires a non-partisan approach to government which can best be accomplished by someone who recognises these difficulties and is willing to face them head on. Barack Obama is the first candidate in the past twenty years that has offered a vision both simple and profound, broad in its scope and application, and all-inclusive. Unlike the rigid dogma of Senator McCain and the Republican Party, the path that we walk with Barack is flexible and welcoming, and though it might be a steep climb at times, we recognize that life is not always easy and thus we ourselves must be flexible and welcoming. Those that never bend are apt to break, and those who choose to keep others at arms-length are apt to find themselves alone. We've lived broken and alone for eight years now.
We can move forward, or we can stay rooted where we are. We are standing at the threshold of a new future, and with Barack Obama as our President, we can close the door on the dirty, divisive, politics of the past.
Barack Obama is one of the greatest men our country has ever produced. There is a very short list of people that have made an indelible impact on our nation: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Crispus Attucks, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, and now, in this age, the embodiment of the ideals that made those men and women the great figures that they were. That person, of course, is Barack Obama.
Dr. King once spoke of the "zeitgeist", a figure that came because he or she was destined to appear. Today, we might call Barack Obama a "nexus". He is the center of a great movement that is based on the idea of change for all, not just for the few. He is the center of a movement that advocates a world view, and not simply an isolated, national view. His message, much like the message of Dr. King, is a message for humanity, and not simply for those of one particular group.
How can we see to it that the message spreads and, more importantly, takes root in the widest possible number of people? We must show the world that it is the citizens of the United States that rule, and not a cadre of well-placed socialites. We must follow the "Golden Rule" (or one of its variants), and show the world that we are interested in more than our own petty concerns, and are, in fact, concerned for the world at large.
Barack Obama is our best hope for a world of peace, and not a fortified nation of frightened, angry citizens willing to follow the deceptive words of a hawk president willing to plunge the world into darkness in order to settle a personal agenda. With a man like Barack Obama at the helm, our "Ship of State" would sail upon smooth, tranquil waters, and the world at large could only benefit from such a state of affairs.
On the topic of a Obama/Clinton ticket, I have been saddened to see that many Obama supporters have been less than receptive to such an idea. But why? The choice, of course, is up to the future President, but an Obama/Clinton ticket would be an unbeatable combination. It would combine the far-reaching vision of Barack Obama with the connections of the Clinton bloc. A revolution must have vision, but it must also have support. Senator Clinton has the ear of many of the more "mainstream" Washington elite, while Barack Obama holds the hearts of the people. How could such a combination fail?
In any case, Barack Obama, a man of faith, integrity, vision, and good old-fashioned American values is poised to be the leader of the 21st century. We must have the courage to face the future with him.
I am a 35 year old male of European descent. Much of my childhood was spent surrounded by people who were all too eager to blame their problems on "minority" groups. I think I heard the "n" word as often as I heard my own name.
I can't say that this did not have an effect on me. I am ashamed to say that as a teenager and young adult, I bought into the nonsense I saw and heard around me. All of that changed when I heard about Barack Obama. At the time, about 10 years ago, I lived in Chicago.
Now I am proud to say that I whole-heartedly support Senator Obama for President. He was instrumental in bringing change to my life, and I believe he has what it takes to bring change to this nation. I trust his words regarding the Wright statements, and as far as I'm concerned the issue has been put to rest. My support for him has not weakened in the slightest.
We as a nation are not what we should be but, with Barack Obama at the helm, we will be one gigantic step closer.
If you remember only one thing about the current candidates, remember the vote in October of 2002. Both McCain and Clinton voted in favour of the war in Iraq. Both spouted the same buzz-words, read from a White House issued statement. Both were so worried about their own political careers that they abandoned their common sense and blindly followed President Bush in his lust for war. Now, the story changes as they try to revise history.
Senator (soon to be President) Obama spoke out against the madness. He was one of the very few that did so. At a time when speaking against the war was looked at as (nearly) treason, Sen. Obama had the courage to speak his mind, to say that it was wrong.
Also, keep in mind the statements made by Sen. Clinton and her supporters; namely that Sen. Obama lacks experience. Even if this were true, perhaps what this country needs is a new voice, one that is unfettered by Washington business-as-usual. Ask yourself: When was the last time you remember a presidential candidate keeping his campaign promises? I can't remember one. If this type of promising-the-moon-to-get-elected is the experience that Sen. Clinton is speaking of, I would be glad to have an inexperienced person as President.
Senator Barack Obama is the man to lead the United States (and the World) into a new age. The twenty-first century deserves the best. America deserves the best. Barack Obama is the best.
