I support Senator Barack Obama. I do not support him because he is handsome or charismatic. I do not support him because he is an inspiring speaker. I do not believe in the cult of personality. I am not an “Obamabot” and I did not drink any Kool-Aid whatsoever.
Instead, I support him because I am very familiar with his policies, his political philosophy, his positions on issues, and his background. He has all the tools to be a successful president without being so far removed from the “real world” of the average voter that he is incapable of understanding our concerns on a personal level.
It’s not easy to choose to follow your better nature. Sen. Obama did this when he traded his extremely lucrative employment prospects for low-paying jobs that allowed him to help people at the grassroots level. Few among us can say the same, and for that Sen. Obama and his family have earned my deepest respect.
Because of these altruistic choices that put people before personal prosperity, Sen. and Mrs. Obama know what it’s like to live paycheck-to-paycheck, to have student loans, to be part of a two-income household juggling careers and children. They have lived—and quite recently, too—all the things that average Americans are concerned about in 2008.
I am equally familiar with Senator Clinton’s background, maybe even more so given that I grew up in Arkansas during the Clinton years. In a side-by-side comparison, Sen. Obama comes out ahead for me on every level.
But most important in terms of the 2008 general election is the fact that Sen. Obama has adopted a “50 state strategy” in which he will make a real effort in all 50 states on behalf of the Democrats; this is an effort that is badly needed at this time in history.
In order to achieve the Democratic vision for America, we need a popular mandate the likes of which has not been seen in decades. We cannot merely squeak into the White House in November--we must ride a wave into the White House, buoyed by a solid majority of the popular vote on top of the winning electoral vote count.
Sen. Clinton’s candidacy will not accomplish this goal. Sen. Clinton, as she and her campaign have recently made abundantly clear, still adheres to the idea that all we need to do in November is win the big blue states plus just enough battleground states to slip into the White House with a slim majority of electoral votes. That approach did not work in 2000 or 2004, and it will not work in 2008 against a Republican candidate who (inexplicably, to be sure) has appeal to moderates, independents, and swing voters.
The cardinal rule of politics is, or ought to be, “always respect voters, even voters who do not vote for you.” Barack Obama has embraced this rule by reaching out to voters all over this country with his positive message of inclusiveness and unity.
Se. Obama's appeal is working—I hear every day from friends and acquaintances who have traditionally voted Republican that they are ready to trust Sen. Barack Obama to lead this country. This is the approach that will win the White House in November. This is the approach that will power the Democratic vision and turn it into an American vision. And this is why I ask you with all my heart to support Barack Obama today.
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