Why I Support Barack

Mercy Odhner,

Pennsylvania

I find him to be the presidential candidate that agrees most with my feminist ideals. Between his pro choice stance, his responsible fatherhood act, and his general compassion and rationality I think he will bring this country closer to gender equality then any president before him.

Jennifer Nordan

I'm a stay at home mother of two young girls. I have very little time that I can call my own. But after the last election, I said that I WOULD be involved this time around because I couldn't sit back and watch "another Bush" be reelected, and feel like I did nothing to stop that from happening. . . Enter Obama. I believe in him. I believe in his genuine desire to change America for the better, and I believe that he has the clarity of judgment to bring about change in a positive way. So, I'm involved! I'm donating whatever time I can muster up to helping this campaign.

Tracy Olski

Personally, I believe Senator Obama has the guts to change politics as usual in Washington. His words are inspiring and his visions for the future are hopeful. Sen. Obama has inspired me to believe I have a say, while be it, a small say in what goes on in Washington. The time has come for the little people to stand up and fight for what we believe in and Sen. Obama leads the charge. For the first time, I believe Sen. Obama is the people's candidate. Someone who will put the American people before special interest groups. Someone who will move forward to strengthen our ties with foreign nations but at the same time better the lives of the American people on the homefront with bold initiatives such as healthcare reform, energy reform and other desperately needed domestic changes. I am very proud to say I support Barack Obama for 08 election.

Megan Dove,

Colorado

I believe Barack Obama can unite our country, bring hope and change, and lead us with strength, honesty, and an open mind. What a refreshing voice in the drone of the rest of political crowds in Washington! I want a better America, I want to feel like I am heard and I want my son to have a brighter future in such a blessed country...and I think Barack Obama can deliver all those things and more!

Lisa Bowyer,

California

Barack possesses incredible insight into the hearts of the American people. As a teacher, I feel as though he understands the issues surrounding education and the daily challenges I face in the classroom. As a citizen, I feel inspired to get involved in the political process. I have a stake in this campaign and I want to make my voice heard. As a woman, I believe Barack understands our hopes, and dreams for our husbands and our children. He does not operate under an ethnocentric or egocentric view, rather, a world view and has America's best interests in mind. How do I know, because he asked...

Marni Willenson,

Washington D.C.

I've known Barack since 1995, when I was a second-year law student and he taught a seminar on education law. After I graduated, I worked with him at Miner, Barnhill & Galland. You can't judge a candidate's commitment to working women, and to our hopes and dreams for equality and respect, armed only with a list of issues and a string of check boxes. A president faces a complex world, and to have faith that s/he will do what you believe is right and just, you have to try to peer inside the heart.

Of course this is impossible to do through a television, or computer screen, or for that matter even with a few moments in one another's presence at some campaign event. But I have been graced with Barack's company and friendship in more meaningful circumstances, and this personal acquaintance informs my unflinching belief in his commitment to women -- our quest for self-determination and equality, our insistence that our children inherit a world worth living in, and the hopes and dreams that we have for own daughters. I could give a litany of examples -- of how he treated us (female students) in his seminar, of the respect that he showed me as a student and young lawyer, or of what I know about his views on all manner of issues, but these were personal interactions, and they may only speak to me. But there is one simple and obvious thing that should speak clearly to all women: Here is a man who chose his intellectual equal in marriage.

We can be certain that Barack Obama's respect for women, and commitment to equality, run deep and that he will govern accordingly.

Barbara T. Bowman,

Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Develoment, Erikson Institute, Chicago, IL

I have known Barack and Michelle for 15 years and consider them good friends. In fact, I gave one of the book signing parties for him when he wrote his first book. As a native Chicagoan, I was impressed with his grasp of local politics and having lived many years in the middle east and traveled extensively in Africa and the far east, I was also pleased to find he knew a lot about international issues.. I found his first book fascinating and it helped explain his sensitivity to some of the issues of concern to me both here and abroad. While he was in the state legislature I watched to make sure he was on the right side of children's issues and was never disappointed. It was a pleasure to give a book party for him on the occasion of his second book and to see that his ideas resonate with so many people, .It is a joy to watch his devotion to Michelle and his daughters and theirs to him. I can't think of enough good things to say about him and how proud I would be to call him my president as well as my friend.

Robyn Gabel,

Illinois Maternal & Child Health Coalition, Chicago, IL

I worked with Senator Obama when he was a State Senator in Illinois. He was the sponsor of a health care bill that established a task force to develop a plan to provide accessible, affordable, quality health care to all Illinoisans. He believed in the content of the bill and stood firm while under attack from the other side of the aisle and successfully passed the bill. Today, the findings from that Task Force serve as the basis for a comprehensive health care reform bill in the Illinois General Assembly. Senator Obama's strength of character and vision will serve him well as President.

Crystal Nix Hines,

Television writer, Los Angeles, CA

When I first met Barack Obama on the grounds of Harvard Law School, I confess I was skeptical. I had entered Harvard fresh from The New York Times, where I had recently covered a major political corruption scandal in New York City, and was thus, doubtful of politicians. He was a community activist in Chicago who was interested in entering politics. When he told me he wanted to enter politics to make a difference in people’s lives, I remember thinking “right – another politico who wants to feed a giant ego.” But over time, as we spent hours together editing articles at the Harvard Law Review, I came to see and understand the depth of Barack’s commitment to social change. He had spent years quietly toiling in Chicago’s inner city, helping churches and underfunded community groups deliver services to the poor. And despite being elected the first African-American President of the Law Review in the journal’s 104-year-history, he opted to turn down prestigious judicial clerkships and high-paying law firm jobs to return to Chicago to advocate for the poor and disenfranchised. To me, that spoke volumes about his commitment to public service.

Barack’s emergence onto the national scene after his electrifying speech at the Democratic National Convention was no surprise to his friends. He was unusual even at Harvard. While many students on the Law Review – and on Harvard’s campus in general -- were deeply politically divided and often talked past each other, Barack possessed a rare ability to unify disparate voices. While clear on his own points of view, he displayed a genuine interest in listening to other perspectives and finding areas of common ground. – skills that will be invaluable in gridlocked Washington. I have heard from dozens of people how Barack is the first Presidential candidate to excite them in decades. Some are making campaign donations or registering to vote for the first time in their lives. After knowing him for nearly 20 years, it does not surprise me that Barack inspires that kind of enthusiasm. He has an innate ability to do what so few politicians seem to do – lead. Our nation is desperate for it. We need leadership Barack style – leadership with vision, intelligence, character, moral fiber, depth, and heart.