Super Tuesday: My Last Minute Endorsement: "Yes We Can"

For some reason my friends have really cared about who I was picking in the Democratic Primaries. For the longest time I've had no answer. This was good indecision in a way because I wasn't confused about which choice presented the least evil, but I was instead was confused because I have an affinity for aspects of each of the candidates. I was settled on the three frontrunners, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards and could not quite pull one out in front of the other two.

In the early debates, Hillary seemed the most presidential; the most in control of the situations that she was in and the most adept at handling the political process. She also seemed most ready to face the attacks that are sure to come from the far-right. With Kerry's inability to do the same in 2004, and it's importance to that election's outcome fresh on my mind, this was an important consideration. I was uneasy about her candidacy though, because of the way that she operated in the Senate leading up to her candidacy. There were votes that she cast that seemed focused more on what was most politically expedient then on what was the best policy or what she believed in most. This is summed up best by her Iraq war authorization vote. Whatever she says now, we all knew that the authorization vote was a vote to go to war, and she voted yes (along with Edwards and Kerry and most Dems). To say she was duped now that the country (and especially the Dems) is clearly against this war is disingenuous, and does not show real leadership. That said, I still believe that she would be commited to Universal Healthcare and other issues that I believe in and does know how to navigate her way through our government.

I leaned heavily towards John Edwards until he left the race because he had the platform that I agreed with most. He had the most aggressive environmental policy, a great healthcare plan, unwavering opposition for the war and a serious focus on the issue of poverty. My problem with him was that when he was in the Senate and actually had the power to vote against the war, a corporate friendly bankruptcy bill and other issues that he spoke so forcefully about during the campaign, he did not. It took a leap of faith to believe that this time he would actually follow the rhetoric with action, a leap I could never quite take. I also believe that while Edward's platform held promise for trans formative change in the country, the change that having the first female or Black president will bring to America, and the world's perception of America, cannot even be anticipated.

Which leads me to Barack Obama. Obama caught my attention the same way that he caught America's, with his rousing and inspiring speech during the 2004 Democratic Convention. Each speech that I have heard since then has been nearly as inspiring and energizing, but I was still not convinced. The argument that there was "no there there" resonated with me early on in the campaign. His national political experience is slight, and his Senate record is not long on achievements. His speeches focused more on inspiration then on policy and I wondered if he would be able to move policy if he wasn't focused on it. I misjudged the reason for his focus.
The more I listened to him in speeches and interviews, the more that I understood this tactic. Obama can often be heard saying that, "real change comes not from the top-down, but from the bottom-up." It's therefore not what he proposes for us, but what We the People mobilize on to make so. Inspiration is important and bringing people into the process that have never been involved before is important. This country, and the issues that face us needs a movement to make real change.

The Obama campaign is a movement. People are setting up home made campaign offices in small towns that have never had a presidential campaign presence. Old VW vans that probably held up RFK placards in '68 are on the road with Obama placards now. His quotes and speeches are all over the internet and are even being made into song. The inspiration that Barack generates is the source of all of this, and once you join this movement you have a sense of possibility and promise for America that people my age and younger have heard about, but never actually experienced. Even many Republicans that I and my friends talk to, even if they don't agree with him and may not vote for him, feel his campaign's energy and feel a bit of it's promise. The fierce opposition, and even hate, that Hillary Clinton inspires in many Republican voters is not there for Barack, and after 8 years of half of the country hating the president I don't think it serves us well to just switch places and still have the same amount of hate.

In order for a comprehensive and truly progressive agenda to be put into place in America it will take more then just winning battles. It will take challenging all Americans to look at our values and priorities and ask if we should do better, and if we can do better. I think that Barack can challenge Americans in a way that they will listen, and inspire America to believe that we can do better.

It all comes back to that speech in 2004, and what I wrote about it at the time. Barack presented the Progressive point of view in a unifying and convincing way. It's not about firing up the base to win, but convincing more people to agree with our base beliefs and work to make the American Dream of equal access to opportunity real for all of America.

I endorse Barack Obama for the office of President of the United States because his campaign gives me an answer to the question, "Can America truly be fair, and free and prosperous?"
YES WE CAN!

-G