Organizing for America | Cliff Sharples Blog: My Own Closing Arguments

My Own Closing Arguments

By Cliff Sharples - Nov 3rd, 2008 at 2:58 am EST

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After volunteering, writing, learning, participating, caucusing, speaking and experiencing the Race for the White House for almost 14 months now, I feel like I owe it to myself to make my own closing argument for why I have voted for Senator Barack Obama and ask that you join me. You may have your own set of reasons, whether they be pro-Obama or pro-McCain. These are a few of mine, not necessarily all-inclusive, but reasons that have stuck with me as we reach this historic week.

If you are also an Obama supporter, please take the time to send out your own closing argument to your family, friends, business associates and neighbors. Encourage them to do the same and ask for your network’s vote for Obama-Biden on November 4th. Election Day is upon us, and the stakes for our nation and our future could not be higher.

If you are a McCain supporter, I respect your decision and seek no further debate. The important thing is that we all participate in the process, take careful measure of the facts, discard the slanders and negativity, and vote for the kind of leader we want in these challenging times.

OK, so here are my closing arguments, being as brief as possible!

Barack Obama has the leadership qualities I look for in business and politics. Empathy, vision, courage, conviction, decisiveness. He is a listener, he balances opposing views, he seeks common ground, he understands that everyone’s perspectives are valid. He is steady, assured, articulate, energizing, compassionate, consistent. He is analytical, incredibly intelligent, a student of history, has a vast appreciation and understanding of our country’s constitution. He is diverse, global, and the most human of any of the Presidential candidates that I have seen in a long time.
As an entrepreneur, I have an appreciation for change and innovation, which I think is needed more than ever. America has been a beacon of light for the past 2 centuries. We have had good times and bad. We have had periods where maintaining the status quo was prudent. And we have had times when we needed a fresh, new approach. I believe we are sitting at a critical moment where America very badly needs a fresh approach. I can’t say that Barack Obama will fix all of our problems, but he represents the only candidate who has challenged many of the status quo policies and philosophies that have been increasingly decaying our country. It is time to take a chance on a new kind of leader with a new set of life experiences, from a new generation.
I want to reverse the downward spiral of America’s standing in the world. I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to visit many nations and experience several cultures around the world. I believe that we are part of a worldwide community of nations that must continue to work together to make peace, heal our planet, and fight for the rights of all individuals. Our reputation around the world has plummeted in the past 8 years under Bush-Cheney, coinciding with our waning ability to provide leadership and action on these critical areas. We have been behaving more like bullies than a beacon of hope and light. The world, however, knows how amazing the American People can be, which is why the entire planet is holding its breadth to see how resilient and self-governed we Americans can be. A President Obama will not solve world peace, world hunger or global warming all on his own. But just the mere act of electing for the first time a person of color, with a rich global upbringing and an inclusive world view that appreciates all perspectives will give a new hope around the world that America can reverse course from the treacherous path we have been lead down by the Republican Party and the Bush-Cheney Administration. Obama’s Presidency begins to create a climate where we can have a fresh start with our community of nations and make progress on the important collaboration we so desperately need.
I want my children to be inspired to participate and love this country as I do. I look at John McCain and I see the past. I am so ready for new leadership in Washington who will reject old-style politics, understand how we Americans live our day to day life and have a fresh perspective on the enormous problems we face in our economy, in our foreign policy and in our domestic agenda. I’ve seen Senator Obama speak in person a couple of times, and I have studied endless speeches, talks and writings he has done throughout his career. There is a genuineness in intent, an inspiration in his message and an understanding of our daily lives that I have not seen from any other political figure. I’m not a mindless believer. I am not typically prone to to “drink the Kool-Aid.” But this man has activated and inspired me in a way I have not previously been before. And in 14 months of working on and off on his behalf, that feeling has only grown. I care so much because I have kids who I want to have a passion for their government and their participation in the governing of their lives. I think there is an opportunity in Barack Obama to inspire my children's’ generation and prepare them for the enormous challenges and opportunities that await them in the future.
We can not pass up the opportunity Barack Obama represents. I would not have ever predicted 2 years ago that I would feel that America has an opportunity to once again reinvent itself to become even better and stronger than ever. But here we are, on the eve of making the most important national decision in my lifetime, and I feel optimistic and hopeful. And it’s not Obama the President that will solve all our problems and take us forward as a people. It’s going to be us. With President Obama, we will be more energized, passionate and motivated to take personal responsibility and action. We will be able to make faster progress at turning the page on racial divides. We will find a voice and a place to engage on issues we care about. We will be excited to embrace the next set of huge challenges affecting our lives.

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