Recently in a chatroom that I frequent, someone from Michigan told us that she plans to vote for Cynthia McKinney in the election because "...in MI, due to the demographics, any vote for Obama isn't gonna make a hill of beans worth of difference. This state will go McCain - especially if Romney is his VP." She also stated straight up that she knew that the machines were already rigged for this election, so no matter what, Obama couldn't win.
This is the kind of attitude that worries me. Obama's message of Hope and Change may be coming too late for some people in this country who are already cynical because of years of "new boss, same as the old boss." Hell! I remember when I first read through his Blueprint for Change, I was flabbergasted! There was no way someone could actually believe these ideas were possible! People think Obama is biting off more than he can chew. They think he's too optimistic and naive. Even worse, they think that he won't win, so why vote for him.
While spreading Obama's promises of Hope and Change, we also need to reenfranchise the people. People want to be reassured that their votes Will count. Otherwise, Obama will have a worse enemy than McCain: Apathy.
Something that many people don't realize about me is that I'm dreadfully shy around strangers. Groups frighten me, and there's no way I could ever knock on a stranger's door. So, it was with great trepidation that Thendain and I went to the Plainfield Cookout for Change. I grabbed my cookies and my crochet, figuring that I could keep an eye on Kat while Thendain talked to people.
So, imagine my surprise when, while hiding under a tree with my crochet, someone came down off the deck to talk to me! And, even more surprising, it was Natalie, our local field coordinator who had just arrived in the area. Why would anyone care to talk to me? But, she asked me about myself and my kids, and when I tried to apologize for talking too much, as I usually do when I was nervous, she smiled and told me she wanted to hear about me.
My confidence bolstered some, I eventually wandered back onto the deck and started circulating some, talking to people and listening to conversations. The thing that struck me the most was the diversity of the people there. It was then that I realized something that was both obvious and profound: Obama is attracting people both young and old! Now, the important thing is to realize that we are all in this together.
One thing about Obama's ideas that I am truly interested in is his ideas for health care. I'm a 29 year old mother of 4 who has moderate mental illness. Because we're low income, I can only afford to go to the local sliding scale clinic, which means I have no choice when it comes to finding a therapist or doctor who truly wants to help me. By the same token, because my children are on Medicaid, I can't really chose their doctor either. Medicaid assigns them. I have bad teeth, but I can't go to the dentist because there are none in the area that take adult Medicaid. I would love to have the same right to search for a doctor/dentist/therapist/etc. as anyone else has, but right now that's impossible.
Honestly, I think choice is the other important aspect of Obama's campaign. Yes, we all want change, but we also all want to be able to choose what the government does with our money. I'm tired of feeling like I have no voice. I may be nothing but a 29 year old stay at home mom, but I am still a human being! I am still a citizen of the USA! I want sidewalks! I want alternative fuel sources so we don't have another $300+ per month gas bill this winter! I know I sound selfish, but it's time for the American People to be able to choose the direction this country is aiming for. I thought that was the point of freedom.
