My First Political Post

I just watched Barack Obama accept the nomination (I know, I'm late, I was at work when it happened and I forgot to record it on the DVR). He made big promises - to get out of Iraq, responsibly; to create five million new jobs; to reduce taxes for 95% of Americans; to end dependence on foreign oil in ten years; to invest 150 million dollars over ten years in clean energy. He addressed healthcare, education, the environment, and the economy. He was inspirational. He looked like a president, someone who could go abroad and not embarass my country. He sounded educated, but not entitled.

I don't know if he can deliver on everything he has promised. It sounds impossible: deliver everything you want, and at a lower price. It sounds too good to be true.

But I have to vote for him. I don't have a choice. McCain is too aggressive in foreign policy. He is too invested in the "trickle-down economics" idea to change. He doesn't know how many houses he owns. He is not the man I want to be president of my country.

So I'm taking a chance on Obama. It's like all the TV shows and movies where they're stuck on an island, and they can stay on the island and be safe, but miserable, until the coconuts run out or the pirates/Others/wild animals get them, or they can make a break for it. They can build a raft and strike out for the ocean, and they might die but it's better than being stuck on the island and doing nothing. Obama is the big gamble. Just like the escape in Castaway, where he plans as best he can, choosing the best time of year and the right tide, and builds the best raft possible, and then goes for broke. Because dying out on the ocean, and knowing you tried, is better than the safety and misery of the island.

In the movie, he gets rescued (although it's not exactly a happy ending). I don't need to be "rescued" but I need to take this chance, so I can tell my kids I tried, I had faith, I took risks.

(I know it's not a great analogy, but it's better than the first one I thought of, where I was mentally comparing voting to ordering in a restaurant, and McCain was the entree you know you can tolerate but don't love, and Obama is the exotic dish that looks great but might be awful. Cause, you know, somebody would be offended by that, and also, eating something so-so for four years would be better than eating something you hated for four years so it kind of comes out in McCain's favor, that one).

Election Day is Trea's fourth birthday. I didn't vote in the last one (I was busy giving birth). I will vote in this one.

Comments

Ariana said…
I totally know what you mean...it's frustrating though being in Utah and knowing that an Obama vote really won't do much since most people here will vote republican no matter what. I am not into the trickle-down economics thing either...it never seems to trickle down to wherever we are, and I think we are pretty regular people. Anyways...happy voting!
Kate said…
I'm with Ariana. Can we all just graduate from the Electoral College and move on? I can't believe you're not going to vote for McCain! C'mon, his VP is a beauty queen who can gut a moose! That alone should trump the whole war/economy/immigration/energy stuff.
Amy said…
I'm voting for Obama too. I appreciate your post. I'm pretty tired of reading so many posts talking about how McCain is the better of two evils. Two evils? Obama is promising us SO much good. I'm all about government health care and responsibly getting out of Iraq.

I have to say, though, Palin is SO DARN CUTE. I have a hard time not voting for McCain just because I want to be Sarah Palin :)
Anonymous said…
I just want to say Hi to Everyone!

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