Obama on stage, February 1, 2008, Kiva Auditorium, Albuquerque
Convention Center, photo © 2008 by ybonesy. All rights reserved.
I got a call yesterday from Mom. She wanted to know what I thought about Barack Obama.
“He was good,” I told her. I went to see him speak on the economy, in an auditorium where I’ve seen George Winston, Joan Baez, and Bonnie Raitt. No seat in the ~2,000-person house is bad.
“It wasn’t a rally like Adam went to,” I explained. Adam is my nephew who goes to school at University of Denver. He’s been an Obama backer since the beginning.
“Well,” Mom said, “Dad and I are voting for Hillary,” and then she ticked off who in the family was voting for Clinton and who for Obama. When it comes to what’s happening in our own party, we Democrats in the family can talk politics without things turning nasty.
I like that my mom and dad know who they want. Not once have they tried to sway me, and not once have I tried to change their minds. That would be fruitless.
Dad said today that he thinks this is our only chance to elect a woman as president. I also know that Dad and Mom love the Clintons. During Bill Clinton’s first campaign, Dad worked as the Assistant Treasurer of the New Mexico Democratic party. He’s as loyal as they come.
“I like Obama, too,” Dad said, “but he’s young. He can be President next time.”
My parents have a deep connection to Clinton, one that transcends her policies. They don’t know Obama.
George Lakoff, linguist and author of several books on the importance of language in politics, wrote a blog post about something that Ronald Reagan discovered. Most voters do not vote based on policy. They vote based on values, connection, authenticity, trust, and identity.
I think Clinton is great. I think she is competent and has done a lot for our country. Why then, was my decision to vote for Obama so swift and so strong? Was Reagan right?
The Iraq War
I remember those first few days when the bombs started to drop in Iraq. Jim and I cried. I was devastated, yet I went to work. In my journal from that time, I have an email memo from a vice president in our company stating that the war had started, that many people had strong opinions — even passion — over these events, and that we should remember that ours was a global workplace with employees from many nationalities.
I read the memo, incredulous. How could I refrain from speaking with passion? I couldn’t concentrate on my tasks. I was overcome by emotion and the realization that we were at war.
Also in my journal is a clipping of a New York Times article on the difficulties talking about the war at work or school. A waiter in New York said customers were sending back French fries because France was against the war. “I’m against the war, so maybe you shouldn’t eat anything served by me,” the waiter was quoted as saying.
The U.S. invasion of Iraq had broad support. People wanted to see something as retribution for the terrorist attacks of 9-11. Three hundred seventy-three Congressmen and women voted to authorize going to war; 156 opposed. Like those 156, I was in the minority.
I remember writing about those first few days. I said I felt like I was in a glass bubble, walking around the aisles at work. There’s Roberta, oh, look, Renee and Gwen, going about their business. I wanted to scream, “We’re in a war!”
But I couldn’t. They wouldn’t have heard me anyway.
To speak out against the war at that time was to show immense personal courage. Our Democratic Senator, Jeff Bingaman, voted against the resolution to approve going to war. But many Democrats gave Bush authority to move forward.
Obama was not a U.S. Senator in October 2002, when the resolution to approve the use of force was passed, but a week before that vote, he made this speech against the war. This is, for me, the primary difference between Obama and Clinton. It is one thing, but it is huge.
I care about the environment and education. I want to see No Child Left Behind ended before it demoralizes even further people like my sister who teach in high-risk schools. The economy, the poor, the environment — all are overshadowed by the nearly 4,000 soldiers killed, the 30,000 wounded, the $600 billion spent.
And what of the almost 200,000 Iraquis killed and 2 million displaced? I can’t see them, yet for nearly five years I have felt in my heart the sadness of despair.
My Identity
In College I took a Creative Writing class with New Mexico author Rudolfo Anaya. I wrote a fictional account of a true event that had recently taken place in my family.
My dad’s cousin, a priest who left the Church in the late 1960s, was dying of AIDS in San Francisco, and he moved back to his mother’s — my great-aunt’s — home to be with his family during his final days. The archibishop reinstated my dad’s cousin as a priest and allowed him to give one last mass before he died.
I wrote the story from the priest’s mother’s perspective. I had her flash back to memories of her childhood, which I imagined to be sheltered and oppressed.
I noticed in class that students who wrote about sex seemed to get more praise from Anaya than those whose plotlines were tame. In my final draft, I inserted a long scene where the protagonist was sexually molested by an older boy when she was a teenager.
The scene served to show how the mother viewed sexuality and, therefore, what she had to overcome in order to forgive her son. The scene also was my secret experiment, to see if I could elicit effusive praise from my professor.
Sure enough, the feedback was glowing. The afternoon that I got his notes on my draft, I left the classroom wondering what this all meant. I considered drawing up a grievance. I stewed about it for a bit, but in the end I did nothing. I didn’t want to give the university ammunition for dismissing an Hispanic professor. In my journal I wrote, “I am Chicana more than I am feminist.”
In hindsight, I realize I was wrong about Anaya. The scene worked. It went to where the priest’s mother’s emotional pain was. Anaya was not machista; he was simply guiding us to tap the interiority of our characters.
But what I got right about that experience was the understanding that of the two aspects of my identity that most shaped me, I am more loyal to my identity as a person of color than I am to my identity as a woman. This is because of the isolation I felt throughout my childhood, the “other-ness” based on the food we ate, the Spanish my parents spoke, how we lived.
That’s not to say that I don’t relate to the struggles of women. I do, and in my work especially, I am different both for my ethnicity and for my gender.
But for better or worse (and here is how this story relates to the Democratic Primaries), when I ask myself whether Clinton or Obama knows my experience better, the answer I give myself is, Obama. Deep inside I believe this man of mixed race knows me.
I don’t know how important this consideration is, but I suspect it is pretty important if I am to be honest about what exactly my gut is saying when it tells me that I trust Obama.
So What?
I’m glad I decided to go see Hillary last night. Nothing can take the place of seeing a candidate live and in person.
She was much better, much more inspiring and trustworthy than I expected. I clapped and yelled. I liked her immensely.
I feel relieved that no matter what happens, it will be great.
I’m also glad I wrote this. I learned that my decision is wholly mine. One hundred percent my own. It is not complex, and yet it is more profound than I ever imagined. It’s based on no more than a couple of simple things, things I’ve tried to distill down to soundbites. “He’s a leader, not a manager.” “He inspires, he unites.”
The endorsements, his words and his presence at the event, the analyses — all they do is validate. They don’t really mean anything more than that. I knew shortly after he entered the race that he was the one.
I’m telling you this because it’s a revelation, not because I want you to join me. I can no more sway you to follow me than you can influence me to follow you. I’m glad I figured that out. I find it calming.
I don’t know what you will base your decision on, but I trust it will be deep, whatever it is. I wish you the best on Tuesday and beyond.
I can’t wait to tell Mom about Hillary.
-related to posts, The Politics Of Primary Season 2008 (A Presidential Primer) and Do You Do Politics?
I’m not American, so I won’t be voting. I’ve read many interesting pieces written on why one candidate should win, and not another. But I think this piece was the most heartfelt that I’ve read, even though you didn’t try to convince. If I had a say, I think you would have given me much to think about. Beautifully written.
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yb, what a great post! You delve into the heart of why this election is so important, and how it is you come to a very personal decision.
I’m still torn between Hillary and Barak. The first time I ever heard Barak speak I said that man is a leader, and he’s saying things I’ve never heard anyone else say. He connects.
Hillary is the smartest girl in the class. She earns her A. She’s a woman. I feel like I’m betraying my gender when I think about voting for Barak. I hate feeling torn this way.
The point you make about the war is a strong one in Barak’s favor.
Ever since I was a child I’ve thought and written about racism. I feel a strong connection to people of color because of my travels and because I speak Spanish. I’ve always felt different from everyone else, and as a result, I connect to “the other”. But in some ways, Hillary is the other too.
Thanks for your deeply honest, well-written post.
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Thanks, you two.
Yes, C., Hillary is the other, too. Seeing her last night made me realize that even more.
I can see how women especially are torn. That’s why that story about Rudofo Anaya kept floating in my head. Why was one aspect of my identity tugging at me more strongly than another? It was good to figure that out.
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I know all about family arguments regarding the subject of politics. I am the only one in my family who is not a Republican. LOL.
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YB, I had been waiting for your post & as always you did not let me down. What a wonderful & heartfelt post indeed!
Kudos to you! I found the entire post to be inspiring! Thanks! D
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I am very glad that you wrote this post. For the past week, all I have been thinking about it the election and after seeing Obama speak, I knew he was the right candidate for me. For over a year, I’ve had an Obama sticker on my car, waving my political views in the faces of other drivers saying “yeah I’m voting for a black candidate, so what?” For me it’s never been about the color of his skin, or the gender or Mrs. Clinton, but about how passionate he is about making a change. Obama is strong and not so inexperienced as everyone thinks him to be. Many forget that he has been doing the same job as Hillary. The girl next door to me strongly opposes HIllary, saying she hasn’t done anything for New York. Not to say that this is true, but someone from New York would most likely know better than you or I would. Also, on her campaign to Denver, Hillary was absent from the scene, and instead, former President Bill Clinton came to speak on her behalf. I saw Clinton when he was campaigning for John Kerry and I was very moved by what he had to say. However, this time my mind was already made up and knew that it wasn’t Slick Willy running for office, it was his wife.
So I’m voting for Obama on Tuesday, hands down. We shouldn’t be concerning ourselves with race, gender, religion, or any of that bull shit, but how the candidate will help our country move towards a better future and away from the Middle East. I heard about a person saying they were scared to vote Obama because he is Muslim. Yes, because every Muslim is a terrorist right? No, of course not, that is the least rational thought in the world. Xenophobia is ruining this country. Likewise, to say you’re not voting for Hillary because she is a woman is ludicrous. I’m not voting for Hillary because I’m voting for Obama.
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Hey, Adam. You were true to your word — write about me in a post and I’ll comment 8) .
I’m glad to see you and other young people so passionate about the elections. We’ve had decades of apathy among young people, that I think started shortly after my generation came of age to vote. I’m still blown away when I hear people say they don’t vote. Whaaaa????
Hey, diddy, thanks. And LB, I suppose my one sister who is the Republican probably feels kind of like you but in reverse.
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Since Edwards took his leave last Wednesday, I’ve been wrestling with who I’ll vote for on Tuesday. As people seem to say over and over, in the end either will be a breath of fresh air. Either will likely set us on a new and better course.
When I took the on-line “pick-a-candidate” quiz, 2 of the 3 times Hillary was #1, Obama was once. I wondered why I resisted just going with Hillary. I spent a lot of time reading about each of them last night. I’ve decided to vote Obama. I am weary of the polarization in this country. If Hillary gets in, we begin it all over again. Be it right or wrong, so many people can’t stand her, and are intending on digging in their heels the second she is elected. The resistance has already forrmed. If Obama is elected, I think conservatives are willing to listen. We’ll all be willing to at least listen and be reunited. That really, really matters to me.
I also refreshed my memory (in my reading last night) about the scandals when Bill Clinton was president…Paula Jones, Gennifer Flowers, Monica (of course), impeachment and Whitewater. No, Bill isn’t running for president, nor should Hillary be held responsible for his behavior. Yet she was there with him. Often silent about what was happening. He obviously will be very much a part of what happens again if she is elected.
I can forgive him/them for the mistakes of the past, but there should be some lasting consequences for abusing power in the White House. That’s my vote. At least for today.
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Teri, funny, I just got off the phone with my mom. I told her all about the rally last night. She said the one thing that bothers her about Hillary is that she stood by Bill through all that. “I wouldn’t have stood for it,” she said. Not that it will change her vote, at least I don’t think. But it does bother her.
I don’t know. It’s a tough call. Standing by him is a strength, in some respects. But I hear what you’re saying about the abuse of power.
I just sent a note to my cousin. Her father, my uncle, a conservative to the max, told my mom he will vote for Obama if he wins the nomination. Probably more than any other case that I’ve heard about in terms of crossing party lines, this one has surprised me most.
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Adam, I must also send kudos to you! Your comments were quite interesting! I’m glad to read that you proudly display the Obama bumper sticker on your car!
I live in a very conservative Republican rich area. When I displayed my Kerry, Edwards banner in my yard during the 2004 election, I did it without hesitation! Stolen the first night out, my heart wanted to believe that another Democrat could not get one & took mine to display in his/her yard. But, my gut told me otherwise. Luckily, I had the back-up banner! So, whoever wins the Democratic nomination, there will be a banner in my yard this year as well! D
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I very much enjoyed this, YB. Your decision is so well thought out along very personal lines, something I wish many more people would do instead of getting caught up in one-issue votes.
I’m still not sure who will get my vote. I’m still a little burnt-out from the past two elections, and my faith in the whole system was more than a little shaken after the last presidential election when Ohio (where I live) didn’t get entirely counted as it should have.
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Good for you, diddy, for exercising your right to put up your sign. I know that feeling when you’re not amongst like-minded folk. It is hard to overcome the pressures to be silenced.
I remember right after the 2004 elections, I had my Kerry-Edwards bumper sticker. I was at a two-laned left-hand turn light, and a truck with a man and teenage boy pulled up ahead of me in the next lane over. When the truck stopped at the light, both turned back and glared at me. It was as if they hated me just because I wanted a different candidate. Wow, it was a signal of how divided we were at that time.
Which, I guess is a good segue to your comment, Robin. Ohio. Ah, what a night, watching what was unfolding there. I really hope you find the energy to give it another try. But I completely understand the mistrust. Hey, didn’t Ohio do some pretty major voting reform in the ensuing years?
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YB – great post! I watch Meet The Press regularly, & this morning they showed a clip of Harry Truman making his speech about the “youth & immaturity & lack of experience of JFK, etc.” that he made before JFK won the nomination of the Dem. party, & it sounded exactly like the ones different candidates have made about Obama!!
I couldn’t agree with you more about our country going to war, I was against it from the beginning, and I KNEW Bush had made up his mind to declare war long before he was fed some trumped up “reasons” to do so…even his body language spoke to that end! It is so tragic that people are still bound by the “eye for an eye” concept of retaliation.
As far as the ridiculous treatment of the French…aren’t people aware of the fact that if it were not for the French support during our own Revolutionary War, the British would have won?!?!
Anyway, you wrote an excellent post. I’ve enjoyed all the comments, as well
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Hooray oliverowl! I too am a Meet the Press regular viewer!
I applaud you for your comments about our country going to war in Iraq. J & I have the book “State of Denial, Bush at War Part III” written by Bob Woodward. I have only read a few excerpts, however even before I purchased this book, I also believed that Bush’s decision to enter into war began even prior to the events of 9/11. I think that event just added fuel to his fire. It was in my opinion, & as you so bravely stated, some trumped up “reasons” to do so. I have always supported our troops, but it does not mean I have supported this war. My best friend’s daughter (I consider her a member of our family) spent a year in Baghdad early on. She knew it was her duty, however, not a day went by that I didn’t worry & pray for not only her, but all of our troop’s safe return. The casualties have been overwhelming. A big “Thank You” to YB for bringing up such a delicate yet important issue!
Now let me also say that even though I am a registered Democrat, I always take a look at all of the candidates & no one has “tripped my trigger” the way that Hillary & Obama have in this election. D
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To me, personally, the war is the only thing that matters because it’s a matter of life and death, literally, and therefore the most morally central. Everything else will follow. Obama has been consistently antiwar. Hillary voted for the war. McCain expects the war to last a hundred years. That by itself gives me a sense of each candidate’s moral compass on more than just the war, and so I will continue to post in support of Obama on my blog for as long as he is in the race, because to me it feels like a moral imperative. I know his chances of winning are shaky. That just saddens me.
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Wow.
Hey that was good and honest. I appreciate that. I’ve been talking to people about policy differences among the democrats, miniscule as they are…but you are so right.
It’s more than policy.
Barack transcends the politics of old. If we believe we can change government, we can. Barack inspires me to get involved, make a difference and to put the cynicism aside.
peace,
a gun owning, animal hunting, truck driving, conservation minded, ‘served my country’, non-religious, independent hispanic man.
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OMG, P, just when I thought I would no longer comment, I feel the need to continue. The views shared by TIV were quite intereresting, & the last paragraph of your comments have inspired me the most thus far! I suppose that is one of the reasons I have chosen 2 John Lennon songs for my cell phone. “Imagine” as my hold music & “All we are saying, is give peace a chance” as my ringtone. I think Barack does stand a chance! The war, the cost…how much good we could have done with the dollars spent here at home! Our economy, health system,education system, etc. are all suffering & I am truly concerned about McCain & the the momentum in which I fear this election will proceed. You got me with the truck driving comment as I have devoted most of my career to that industry. Truck drivers take a lot of flack, when in fact, we should all know that if we got it, a truck brought it. Too often they are streotyped as nothing more than “rednecks” Thanks. Peace to all….D
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Thanks for the comments. I love seeing people’s passion.
Hey, where do you get the ringtones, diddy? I’m afraid I’m a cell phone technology newbie. BTW, did your Super Bowl team win? My youngest was glad. I don’t even know how she ended up liking the Giants. It must have been someone at school. Neither Jim nor I were rooting for any team. I’m a football newbie, too 8) . (Too much exposure to it as a child. I was traumatized by all the yelling 8) .)
P, glad to see you when you comment, every once in a while. I think that’s what this post helped me clarify for myself — that it was kind of silly of me to try to point out policy differences or summarize even style differences. It might not even been so much about the candidates as it was about chords they struck in me. I mean, it’s both. All of the above.
oliverowl, I like Meet the Press, too. I didn’t catch that one. And diddy, remember my comment about my uncle a bit earlier (#9)? He’s a retired truck driver.
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I too, am against the war and would like to see it end. I have a good friend that is in Iraq. I do not see anything good coming out of it. For our country’s sake, some major change needs to take place a.s.a.p. I pray about this continually. I have not made a decision who I will vote for however, I will take Barack Obama under consideration.
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Good morning YB! First off, I got my ringtones off a website provided to me by Verizon. Trust me, I also required the assistance of my husband & a niece in order to get them! I think the ringtones will expire after a year, so I need to decide if I want to change them or keep them. (I will probably keep them)
My football team is the Steelers, always has been! I have attended quite a few games over the year’s, however I now prefer to watch them in the comfort of my own home. But I never miss the Super Bowl & this one proved to be a good one for sure! I was pulling for the Giants & especially for Eli Manning who has had to stand in his brother Peyton’s shadow.
YB, I somehow missed the comment about your uncle! Sorry! I don’t think most people understand the service that the Transportation Industry provides to us! The driver’s have a tough job to do & I respect them for it. I could never do it myself! As is the case in any industry, there will allways be the bad eggs. But the good eggs far outweigh the bad.
I know I have gotten off the conversation of poitics, but I have had my say & look forward to tomorrow & also April 22nd when I can cast own vote. Have a great day YB! D
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ybonesy, I really appreciate that you wrote this post. It is honest. And personal. And it shows great character that you went to see both Clinton and Obama, even though you had already made up your mind. I wish more people were that open-minded. I liked how you described your parents and the dialogue with them about your family politics.
You also make good points about how each of us identifies, based on the ways we’ve been discriminated against in the past. I identify strongly with being a woman and have been discriminated against countless times for my sexual orientation (yes, this still goes on every day). Those things matter most to me. We each have our own stories about what is most important to us.
I respect everyone’s opinions in this post. I’m not out to change people’s minds about anything. The war is important to me. Clinton’s policy is anti-war. And it’s interesting to me that people have polarized her to the other side. As you mentioned, Obama was not a U.S. Senator in October 2002, when the resolution to approve the use of force was passed. It’s hard to say how he would have voted under the pressure of 9/11 when nearly every Senator, Democrat or Republican, voted for the war. I can’t go back and make that call.
Whoever gets elected, the war is going to present a huge problem. And getting out of there in 16 months, to me, is unrealistic. I want the war to end. But there are more people dying in this country from lack of healthcare (mostly the poor, women, and single mothers). And it impacts more people than the war. For me, healthcare is as big an issue as the war.
I find politics exhausting. And I think it’s because the energy that goes into it is very extroverted. I’ve become even more introverted with my writing over the last year. I’m not fond of crowds. But I am glad I went to see Hillary last night in Minneapolis. And since I’m not likely to have the energy to do a post on it, I’m adding my two cents in this comment.
I really admire that you attended the rallies of both candidates in New Mexico. I heard many people last night at the Clinton rally say that they had been to both rallies in Minneapolis. And after seeing both candidates, they still had not made up their minds. I think it’s going to be a very tight race. Either person could win.
However it goes, we are all Democrats. And a unified Democratic party is really the *only* chance we have of getting out of this war. Unity is a spiritual principle. It’s big in recovery. The idea is that, ultimately, we have to put the good of the whole over our individual prejudices, opinions, wishes, and hopes. I’m standing solidly behind whichever Democrat gets the nomination. Or we might be at war for the next 100 years.
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The people in front of me and behind me in the Clinton rally line had also gone to see Obama, and I kept hearing people all around talk about the two events. It’s cool that folks went to see both. And that we had such access to the candidates. Not everyone has had that.
You’re right, there is so much frenetic energy around elections. I have a friend who absolutely thrives on it. For me, I actually get anxious. I get to the point where I can’t watch anything, and yet I want to know up to the minute how things stand. I guess it’s that combination that creates the anxiety.
I love what you said about unity and how it’s a spiritual principle and a principle in recovery. And you’re right — we have to get out of this war.
Hey, S., so good to see you comment. (S. is my cousin who lives in Kansas, very close to Holcomb, for anyone who remembers Truman Capote and Nell Harper Lee and the tragedy there, written about in In Cold Blood.) S., I hope your friend comes home safe. But so much trauma, even when the soldiers do make it home.
diddy, I’m a Verizon person. I’ll have to look up the ring tones on the website. Re: the Super Bowl — I come from a hardcore football family. They jump up and down and scream at the TV and, well, it’s a sight to behold. Football and gambling. I don’t like either one. I OD’d on them when I was little, being drug around to horse races, even occasional dog racing, and Black Jack and poker, and then the yelling-at-the-TV weekends. Ha! I bet my daughters will love football and gambling when they grow up 8) .
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I’m finding myself relieved that tomorrow I will get to attend my caucus. Not only to go and experience my neighborhood gathering, but to be done. For now. I will be glad to cast my vote, watch the returns, and then let the post Super-Tuesday states take their turn. Whatever happens, I look forward (after the Democratic delegation) to sporting either a Obama ’08 or a Clinton ’08 pin on my jacket.
And, at the risk of beating a dead horse, I hope the pin reads either Obama/Edwards or Clinton/Edwards. I don’t want to let John-Boy go.
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Very nice post.
I am fond of writing on my blog in a Montreal context that the city desperately needs new young leaders that think outside the box. Perhaps that is a symptom of a view that sees the whole world at a critical turning point in history. Whether us foreigners like the United States or not, we need to understand that this is the only country in the world right now with the capacity to lead humanity into a sustainable and just future. Perhaps it is time for Americans to rustle up the courage to assume that role as being an inefficient “police force” is creating no solutions at all. I want to believe that either of these two candidates will bring much needed change, but my gut says that Obama would be dramatic and exciting.
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yb, your honesty brings a breath of fresh air to political discussion and is a fine example of how to represent one’s opinion, maintaining peace and integrity. Thank you. I offer no opinions, but only this haiku:
let the games begin:
rampant campaign rivalry
starts two-thousand-eight
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Seems we are in for a long haul. I sincerely hope the Dems can be positive and united as we go through these next weeks. So much at stake. I truly admire both candidates.
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yb, great conversation starter as always: thoughtful, evocative. I voted Tuesday in Massachusetts. For days before, I shifted my loyalties from Hillary to Barack and back to Hillary. In the voting booth–we get black felttip pens and a sheet with ovals like an SAT answer grid–I started both ovals, thought long and hard, and voted for Hillary. I’m not sure she could win in a general election, and Bill is bugging me to death, as he always has, but she is so earnest. When I told my friend Angela at work, a tough woman not given to sentimentality, she reached out with both her hands to grab my face and kiss me. I felt good about my choice. I will be happy whoever wins the nomination, but it felt good to really struggle with a vote. That has never happened to me before.
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Good to hear from you, Nat. Yes, it’s a tough decision. I think it’s gotten tougher for me since Super Tuesday, even though I’d already voted. Since then, it seems, the media and people in general who comment on articles and blogs out there, like on Huffington Post, have become more critical of her. As that happens, I find myself becoming more supportive of her. There is something that happens to some of us, not all, but as a person is attacked, and it starts to seem that the attacks are not warranted, we become protective.
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Nat, I appreciated your comment, too. It helps point out what a tough decision this has been for people.
ybonesy, I have not been following the spin, but it saddens me to read your comment. I try to stay away from that kind of negativity because I don’t think it’s helpful to this country or to the process of helping people choose a candidate that fits for them.
I really appreciate your comment. And your honesty. And, you know, if other candidates were having their character attacked the way Hillary is, the country would be in an uproar. I hate to say it, but part of the reason this continues is because she is a woman and it’s still acceptable in this society to treat women that way. It is this country’s version of discrimination against women.
What’s even sadder to me is that it is often other women who are most critical of strong women – of a person with her strength and vision. That has often been true. And something I’ve never understood.
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Now that the Republican ticket is basically down to McCain, I am more sensitive and worried about Hillary and Barrack needing to scratch and claw for votes. It suddenly feels so much more divisive when only one side needs to keep at the business of tearing down the opponent. Almost overnight, I feel worn out by it and want it to stop.
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[…] irony wasn’t lost on me. Since ybonesy did her Obama piece on red Ravine last February, and I posted one of the only political pieces you’ll probably ever see from me, […]
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[…] worked the 2004 elections and I can tell, something is different this time ’round. I’m proud to wear my Obama buttons and drive around with my “Obamanos” bumper sticker on my car. Last election, people […]
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[…] to posts: Out With The Old, In With The Old (Recycled Fashion Goes To Washington, DC), If You Can’t Say Something Nice…, Why It Won’t Matter To You That I’m Voting For Obama, The Politics Of Primary Season 2008 (A Presidential […]
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