One Week: Comments

I posted this as a Note on Facebook and one of my constituents left her comments on how she felt towards Obama. Below is her comments followed by my own. I thought they proved to be illuminating. Her identity will remain anonymous.


Here is her comment:

"I ask you to not just make the choice that is best for you, but the choice that is best for all of us."

I struggle with what the answer to this and probably will right up until Election Day.

I'm still an undecided voter between Obama and Nader, straddling "Dear God, McCain cannot be president" and third-party lines. I've received a hell of a lot of death stares, awkward silences and lengthy spiels in response to telling people this. It's pretty clear that I'm in some way out-of-touch with what a lot a lot of people want, that much is obvious.

I don't feel the same fervor about Obama as so many Americans seem to. I try to understand and respect the huge movement behind him (and I do respect it), but when I ask people why they're supporting him I get, not all but many, people responding with "Hope,Change Well, I'm a liberal and McCain sucks." No more in depth analysis than that. I'm not saying that they haven't thought out their decision, but if they have they're not interested in talking about it beyond catchphrases and blind partisanship.

The significance of a black man with the real potential to become president is historic and huge. His desire to "unite" the country is wonderful. But policy? I just don't see the change within it. I see a lot of the same. His history suggests that he might have better politics than he can possibly represent and get elected, but what's on his website and in his speeches I have a lot of issues with, and not just petty nitpicky things that I can brush aside. A lot of his foreign and environmental stances are really profoundly disappointing to me. These are the two most important areas for me as voter, so I don't know how many differences in opinion I can set aside and bite my tongue. I really hate to go into the vocab of "selling out", like we're talking about bands here or something, but to me that's kind of what I feel like if I throw my support behind Obama. Like I didn't have enough of a spine to say "No, not a little less military aggression and environmental destruction, but none." rather than "Eh...good enough. I don't really believe that the world can be different, so I'll settle." I'm not saying that this is the thought process of Obama supporters -- I think that they firmly believe in the potential for change that Obama represents for them. But my personal values aren't matching up.

Nader, of course, cannot be elected president. But every extra percentage point adds legitimacy to the stances that he takes and provides a poking, nagging challenge to the way things are -- acknowledging the suffering of Palestinians, that "clean coal" is not real nor a solution to the energy crisis, that NAFTA is terrible. It takes a stand that Americans are sick of the two-party system and want real options and their voices heard. Nader is not a perfect candidate, because that does not exist, but he represents change for me and something that I can proudly stand behind. I don't feel like that's a wasted vote at all.

I'm still in the Dear God McCain Cannot Be President camp. If the race looks close in Florida, I'll no doubt be casting my vote for Senator Obama. I'm not delusional enough to insist that there is no difference between the two, two sides of the same corporate coin, blah blah blah. There are strong differences between the two and Obama represents what I want and what many Americans want much better. A McCain presidency would be catastrophic.

At the same time, I feel like every election is always going to be The Most Important Election of Our Lifetime and it's supposedly going to be imperative to vote Democrat. Why can't we ever hope for something better? I don't believe in the Democratic Party's ability or WANT to produce change. It's not in their interests to do so.

I'm kind of at a loss. I sincerely hope that the people standing behind Obama, believing in hope and change, continue to stand and do not become complacent simply because/if a Democrat is president and "everything is good now." So many people seem to remember the Clinton presidency so favorably, but what about all of the people who lost their lives at the hands of his policies? I love that more and more Americans are becoming politically-engaged and interested. I just...really don't know.

I guess I'm also looking for Obama supporters to clarify why they stand behind him with such passion.


Here is my response:

I think what you're expressing is something a lot of us have felt. I hate the two party system and believe that the support and equality of third party candidates is a way to move beyond that. I have no preference when it comes Democrats or Republicans. They are all the same to me. And I also don't agree with all of Obama's plans and policies.
But then it comes down to that crucial point, where everyone knows that no third party will win and it's down the Republican and the Democrat. Then many people abandon the third party candidate and pick their favorite of the two main contenders, or often pick their personal "lesser of two evils." To one degree, I think that with what is at stake with a McCain-Palin office is worth voting for Obama just because he would be leaps and bounds better than McCain. I don't think that is being questioned.

As for his policies, I think some of them could be more extreme. But I'm also a realist. If Obama went around spouting the policies I think are right, he wouldn't get elected. I hated to see him give in on off-shore drilling, but at the same time, I know that he will have the push and be able to motivate our less inclined Americans to get off their ass and help solve this energy crisis, and to do that, he's got to ween them. I think where his policies fall short, and where they differ from his stances in the past, is that he's playing a large game now, and he has to find a way to work his ideologies into the minds and hearts of the majority of America. He has to compromise and sacrifice because if he doesn't, known of these measures will get done. The fact is, McCain will never get our environmental or energy problems together, and Nader et al will never get elected, so Obama is the best and most likely choice.

Again, I can't agree with 100% because at the end of the day, he's still a Democrat and a liberal so I have fundamental problems with him. But from his economic policy, he certainly seems focused on the proper role of government and focus on assistance where it is really necessary instead of relying on handout programs. He is putting the focus back into American jobs, creating "green jobs" which will move us towards better environmental and energy practices as well as boost the economy and lower the unemployment rate. He is focused on reviving the failing auto industry by utilizing alternative fuel driven cars into the production process. His plans work on multiple levels which is good with the plethora of problems we face. I think with Obama, he can take many of the ideals that we hold and use in our lives, and make them part of the fabric of all Americans lives. We can instill the ideas of recycling and wasting less into people who normally scoff at these sorts of things. To make these ideas work, they can't just be "liberal, elitist, intellectual propaganda" like many Americans feel they are. They need to become necessary aspects of life. Green collar needs to replace blue collar.

I can't address all of your concerns about Obama because you're right, he doesn't share them all. But that can come down to a matter of personal preference. I take little issue with much of his foreign policy. I feel our domestic problems far outweigh our foreign ones. I think we need a strong military. As long as he truly strives to bring us out of Iraq quickly, which I believe he will, then I think we'll find he has quite a good grasp on foreign issues. Especially in his willingness to talk to world leaders, even if we deem them as "evil."

I think Clinton was far from perfect, and I certainly don't hate Republicans by nature. I think Conservatism has a lot of great ideals that I hold myself. And I think the Democrats have many flaws. I think that third party candidates should be covered by the media more and I wish they would be invited to join the debates between the other candidates. The American people need to be aware of their presence and policies so when it gets down to these final months and weeks, more than two people have a chance to win. But with a week to go, that day is not upon us, and even if it were, my vote would still be going to Barack Obama.

I know the "hope" and "change" arguments seem empty, but honestly, this country is never going to be fixed by one man, or even by the government. It requires all our leaders and citizens working together. We have to change the way we live our lives and the way we think. For that to happen, we need someone to inspire us. Someone to remind us that change is possible. That if something is wrong, we can fix it. And most importantly, that we control the government, not the other way around.