I'm not usually one to get too involved in politics but, like many others in 2008, this particular presidential election has me hooked. I've voted in every major election since I was 18 years old and my teenager is eligible to vote for the first time this fall and is very involved already in choosing a candidate based on the issues. I'm proud of the way she's choosing to make her decision based on what the candidates say they're going to do if elected, rather than basing it on an emotional decision or getting swept up in anyone's hype. She's been much more mature about it than most older adults I've heard talk about this election.
I was a Hillary supporter from day one. People talk about Bill having been a liability for her but I think most of them are thinking about his personal life rather than what he did for us as president. I never had anything against Barack Obama. I've met him twice and he's a wonderful guy with an amazing story that epitomizes the American dream. He's breaking down racial barriers and he's a candidate that so many young people can relate to. He came from a broken home, spent some time on welfare and has risen above it all to achieve what he always felt he could. But, like so many people did and still do, I questioned whether he was ready to lead an entire nation because he didn't have much experience.
Both Barack and Hillary symbolize the same thing - change. If she'd become the nominee, it would have knocked down the door for women today and for future generations. Now that he's the nominee, it knocks down the door for minorities. You can now look your daughters in the eye and tell them they can be president someday and mean it and know it could actually happen. The same with your African American, Hispanic or Bi-Racial sons. The game changes from here on out because of both Hillary and Barack.
Now the question is whether or not Barack did enough last night to get elected in November. When Hillary dropped out and asked her supporters to support him, I did just that because their policies are 99% the same and I completely agree that the Democrats need to take back the White House (despite the fact that I'm not registered to either party). I'd hoped that he would choose Hillary as his running mate. It would have all but sunk McCain because right now Barack have Hillary's 18 million supporters without question, instead of having to fight for them and watch some flock to McCain out of bitterness (which is so petty, by the way).
This week I've watched most of the convention (and it's awesome that such a historic night took place in my hometown) and I've also watched some of the news shows where people phone in and give their take on things. Many who called in were women who said they would not vote for Obama because he's too easygoing or young or because he beat Clinton and did not choose her to run with him. They were gonna vote for McCain or not vote at all just because Hillary did not win. How juvenile is that? It's like the country is full of hormonal, emotional teenagers in adult bodies. First, as my mom always says, if you don't vote than you can't complain in the next four years about what goes on and how the country fares, because you did not take the time to have a say in who would run the country. I have not heard one person who was voting Hillary and now McCain say they're voting for him based on his plans once he takes office. Very few people seem to be voting on the issues and not on personality or hurt feelings or race or anything else. It almost makes me sick to think McCain could win based on scare tactics and women who are bitter about who the Democratic nominee is not.
When Joe Biden was chosen, I didn't know a whole lot about him. After some research and watching his speech, there is very little the McCain camp can attack him on. Yes, I may be somewhat partial to Biden because of what happened to him several years ago. I can relate in so many ways, but that's not what it's about. I think he was a safe choice for Obama. He's proven that he is a true family man and that he does want to fight for change and for what is right. The McCain camp would have had a field day with attack ads about Hillary but they can't with Biden. So far I've only seen one that talks about how he misspoke in the past but now that he's admitted to battling speech issues all of his life, that ad is the equivalent of making fun of such an issue. That just looks like bullying. I may not like that Hillary didn't win the nomination or the vp spot and it irks me to no end that I feel like Barack didn't choose her mostly out of hurt feelings of some sort, but that doesn't affect me like it has some people. Things need to change. Now, I have nothing against John McCain. While I do not agree with what he's done in his personal life (cheating on his injured wife, seven houses he can't keep track of, the amazing robotic stepford wife Cindy, the list goes on) I appreciate what he did for his country and think it's horrible what he endured while in captivity. But I feel like part of his campaign is reminding people of that time and insinuating that you owe him a vote because of it. Just because you served bravely in the service does not make you anymore ready to run a country than someone who did not. I'm surprised that he refuses to set a timeline on the war, knowing what those soldiers are enduring everyday. No one doubts that he loves his country and that he has done some good things for it in the past. But he wants to keep things the same as they have been the last 8 years, when that is obviously not working and never has. I like John McCain. I just do not want him to be my president. Had he run back when everyone was urging him to, we maybe would have avoided Bush altogether and, depending on who was opposing him, McCain maybe would have gotten my vote. But not now.
John McCain is like 900 years old. I've thought from the beginning of this election that the choice of running mates on both sides was extremely important. For Obama, because of his age and his lack of experience. And for McCain because of his age. He's had some health issues in the past and he's an older gentlemen. It is very likely that he could die in office and then his vp pick would be running the show. Of course, no one is wishing this on him and I think he'll be okay the next four years but you have to consider the possibility. Obama did well in choosing someone who had the experience he lacked on foreign policy. McCain I do not think did well in choosing someone who could take over if needed. A female governor from Alaska. Yes, she has more experience running things than Obama but on the other hand, it's Alaska. We all know that he chose a woman because he's going after Hillary's supporters, especially those who are itching for a reason to justify their vote for McCain. I don't think Palin is ready to run the entire country if she needed to. But I think that now more people will vote for him because his running mate is a woman. Now, it's a legitimate race.
In the end, it's such a complicated election that is also very simple. Blue = Change. Red = Bush's Reign Continues. That's it. That's all that it ends up as. When you break it down and ask yourself what kind of world you want your kids or the kids you may have in the next four years to come into, I don't know of many people that would want them to come into the one we live in now. Of course, the Mayans believed the world would end in 2012 so maybe it's best not to bring any kids into the world until after that. Just to be on the safe side.
