Scott of Holly Springs, NC knows more than a little about wartime voting. A Navy veteran, Scott did three tours in the Middle East in Operation Desert Storm. Scott has voted Republican for most of his life.
"When I was commissioned as a military officer in 1986, I thought that it would be in my best interest to register as a Republican because my Commander-in-Chief was a Republican," Scott says.
I didn't want to be singled out as someone who was not supportive of President Reagan. And in 2004 I voted for Bush because I felt like since we were in the middle of a wartime situation, the candidate who was most involved in it should be the person to finish it. … But I didn’t realize Bush was just going to make it worse.I decided it was time for a change. We needed someone different who could give us hope.
I didn't want to be singled out as someone who was not supportive of President Reagan. And in 2004 I voted for Bush because I felt like since we were in the middle of a wartime situation, the candidate who was most involved in it should be the person to finish it. … But I didn’t realize Bush was just going to make it worse.
I decided it was time for a change. We needed someone different who could give us hope.
Even though he had never voted for a Democrat before, Scott became an enthusiastic Obama supporter. “He had me at ‘Yes We Can.’”
Whenever Obama addresses an issue, I can tell that it’s coming from intellect and compassion, not empty rhetoric.
Scott quickly got busy volunteering for the campaign, going door to door in his community and contributing to the campaign.Scott, 44, is married with three young daughters, ages seven, four, and one. Concerned about his family, Scott sees healthcare as one of the biggest issues of the campaign.
The healthcare issue is not going away. People are always going to get sick. Unless we can tackle this issue, we’re going to have big problems.
Scott was injured earlier this year when he picked up a tablesaw and ruptured a disk in his lower back.
I had to have surgery, and the cost involved was staggering. The cost of that one surgery really set back my family for the rest of the year.
A former Navy man, Scott is also concerned about the war.
I’ve been there, and I want to see our guys come home. Our being there is holding Iraq in an unstable situation. Our presence there endangers our own people and doesn’t solve the major problems.
He thinks Barack’s plan to exit Iraq is a smart strategy.
Obama is the right person for America right now. We need someone who is smart, compassionate, and will improve our standing in the world.
It’s enough to get Scott to switch parties. “I don’t know if I’ll switch back, either,” he says.
Voices for Change is a series featuring profiles of Barack Obama's grassroots supporters from across the nation. The people who make up this movement come from all different backgrounds, but they share a common goal of helping bring about fundamental change in Washington.
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