Why I’m Voting for Barack Obama

Really, I could list a thousand reasons for voting for Barack Obama tomorrow. I could talk about all the negative things that have happened in this country in the last eight years, but my decision for Obama all boils down to this: Peace, Love and Understanding.

Peace
I remember telling my boys that there was no way that the United States would ever get into another Vietnam. That we were too smart. That people had learned their lesson. That there was way too much information out there for old men to start wars that are fought by young men. That was eight years ago. I was wrong.

What’s the matter with a little peace? I was fortunate to live through Pax Americana. I was born in 1959, which was only one of four birth years in the modern era when young men didn’t have to register for Selective Service. The Vietnam war ended when I was in high school. Nixon was forced to resign. And we cared. What happened?

We got scared. I know that America’s first response, when faced with fight or flight, is to fight. I recognize that when there’s a real threat. But I don’t get it at all when we’re out there picking fights. We’ve wasted $300 billion and over 4,000 American lives in Iraq. Remember the lie we were told about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction? They didn’t….but we did. Four thousand American dead and over 100,000 Iraqis killed. How’s that for WMD?

Here’s what I know about Barack Obama: He’s not going to be a fool and rush in where angels fear to tread. Obama is going to extract us from Iraq, he’s going to hunt down bin Laden, and he’s going to talk to people rather than using the ready-fire-aim approach that’s been so disastrous for the past eight years.

Love
I’m looking for a leader who loves people. And not just people who look a certain way or have a spare billion dollars or two to throw around. This is about a love of the people of the world. I trust that Barack Obama is going to care as much about the millions of people who are dying in Darfur as he cares about the 45 million Americans without health insurance. I’m sure he’s going to care more about people than oil companies. And I’m sure that Obama is going to show Americans what it’s like to love their country again — and those will be more than just words on talk radio.

Understanding
This is a big world and it requires a president who can surround himself with smart people, process information quickly, and know how to make the right decisions. Plus, it’s going to take a president who has a sense about real people. Barack Obama didn’t have a silver spoon when he was growing up. He came from a broken home. He wasn’t wealthy. He was black. And he was white. He grew up in Hawaii and Thailand and in the Heartland — Kansas, USA. Obama graduated at the top of his class at Harvard Law School and was the first African-American to head the Law Review. He was a community organizer. He knows people — and not just wealthy people. He understands that in this world there are finer points to be considered. It’s about knowing that being “right” depends on a lot of information.

I could go on and on. I own a small business that would kick Joe the Plumber’s ass. I’m willing to pay my fair share of taxes — which, by the way, is a 3% marginal rate for income over $250,000 a year — because I got the benefits of lower taxes when I made less money. I’m not into the “I got mine, now you get yours” mentality. I think that “socialist” label is ridiculous. I want to hope again. I’m voting for Barack Obama because of the reasons I listed above. Most of all, I’m voting for Barack Obama for my children. I want them to be proud when they’re my age and are looking back on these days that they know that we, as a nation, stood up and did the right thing.

Posted on November 3, 2008
Filed Under Causes, Frank's World | Comments

Comments

  • You need to stop holding back and tell how you really feel.
    I especially agree with the issue of taxes. Paying my fair share. Consevatives claim that you will take away the incentives to earn more money and that will hurt the economy. Bulls---. In the 1980s marginal tax rates were more than 50%. I agree that paying more than half your income would make you think about the tradeoffs of play vs. work. Obama is not talking about those kind of taxes.

    I just hope that the current administration has no screwed everything up so badly that even a great next president will struggle.
  • Rick, it's so true about paying our fair share...and 39% on the margin doesn't scare me a bit. It's going to be a lot to dig out from 8 years of craziness...but a steady hand is what we need right now.
  • Rich Mennenoh
    Wow, loved the message and well crafted.
  • Thanks, Rich. It's from the heart...and I love that song.
  • Very well said.
  • Thanks, Moni. One more day.
  • Mike Mennenoh
    Frank, I hope tomorrow is a historic day!
  • Thanks, Mike. It's gonna be the best of days.
  • PeachFlambe
    Well done.

    I agree with Rick's comment about taxes - paying my fair share. Even though I work for one of those greedy corporations and make all those big bucks, I'm very willing to pay more than I do now if it meant all Americans could have access to decent healthcare...and not just because it's the right thing to do. Because the irony is that our healthcare mess is also bad for American business.

    Just one little comment, though...those big oil companies you talk about are filled with real people. Average people. People who just want to do a good job and raise their kids and have a decent life. Having spent my life in big corporations working with senior executives I know that there is greed..but there is also tremendous good. Not everyone who works in a big company is a rich executive out to get rich at the expense of everyone else.

    I'm one of the lucky few who has a ticket to the Obama rally tomorrow night in Grant Park. And I'll keep your words in mind as - fingers crossed - I watch history unfold.
  • Peach, you're so right...oil companies have real people too. It's easy to forget that...thank you for reminding me. I was using them as the boogie men.

    I am so envious about the Obama ticket tomorrow night. That is going to be a real moment...I got a chill just thinking about it.
  • I'm voting for an end to the "Obama is probably a Marxist terrorist" vs. "Conservatives are fascist Hitler wannabes" style of modern political discussion. The empty, vapid arguments of HuffPoDailyKosHotair.com are a sign of an electorate in decline, not actually one that is more informed.

    Wait...they don't have that lever in the voting booth.
  • Dave, a little civility goes a long way. I'll go with that.
  • Thanks Frank. Best.
  • Lex Fortis
    Nice. All day I've been thinking how we're onthe cusp of something historic. And how someday I'll say to my grandkids, yes I remember. And I voted for him.
  • Thanks, Lex. Tomorrow is the day I'll remember for a lifetime. If I'm lucky to live a long life, I'll be talking about this in decades.
  • When it comes to politics, words fail me, but I know when I see something I can believe in and wanted to say that I approve this message! Beautifully put.
  • Thank you, Tony. That means a lot to me...I am super excited about tomorrow.
  • Frank, you always seem to find that perfect balance of passion and smarts and articulate in a way that goes right to the heart of the matter. Beautifully put. Thanks for this post.

    Contrary to what the pundits would have us think, this isn't a my-team vs. your-team election. We are deciding the future of our country, our culture, and the global community. These are serious times. We need to rise up, reexamine, redefine, reinvent, and move forward. Tomorrow I'm voting for a serious leader- I'm voting for Obama, and by doing that, I'm voting for my country.

    Searching indeed for light in the darkness of insanity.
  • Thank you, Bickgrrl. I can't believe that today is here, and as you say, it's time for light in the darkness of insanity. I can hear the chants already. I wish I were going to be in Chicago tonight.
  • T
    When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12
  • Sarah
    Amen.
  • Frank, I shared your post on my Facebook wall, and a few of my friends from high school really enjoyed it, as did I.
    Lovely and smart.
  • T
    On Peace and Love:
    Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, ALONG WITH those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22
    On Understanding:
    Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. James 3:13
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