I had an hour to kill between appointments one day a couple of weeks ago, and spent some time in a local coffee shop. Unsurprisingly, many of the other patrons were talking politics. As I overheard their conversation, it became clear they were McCain supporters, and I'll admit I actively listened--I was interested to hear their point of view. I was struck by the content of their conversation. These people spent an hour talking about why they were voting against Barack Obama.
I think this is emblematic of the tone of politics in our country. The race has become so adversarial that name-calling, mudslinging, and negative attacks are accepted as genuine political discourse. McCain and Obama supporters are equally guilty of it, and I regretfully admit I have done some of it myself.
Since that day, I've been listening closely to the tone of what I hear and read from others about their political views and choices, and I've been disappointed. I came to an important realization: I am voting for Barack Obama and not against John McCain--I should strive to talk about it in those terms.
I also took the time to listen to John McCain as a candidate and understand why people would choose him to be president. While I do not share all of his views, I can now honestly admit that I can see why he is the choice of so many.
So, I decided to challenge myself: Today, I am going to explain just a few of the many reasons why I chose to vote for Senator Obama, and I am going to do it in positive terms.
Nine Reasons Why I Voted for Barack Obama for President:
Foreign Policy
Broad-based diplomacy should be central to our foreign policy. The only way to truly understand our enemies is to be close to them and to listen. The US should meet directly with adversaries when it makes sense, and these meetings should not always require preconditions. Now, a meeting that you have with an adversary is not the same as a meeting you have with an ally--the agenda and attendees are very different--but it is a meeting nonetheless.
We need a strong set of allies with whom we share responsibility to keep the peace. They should not have veto power over our actions, but a group of like-minded nations can wield significant diplomatic influence on the world.
Homeland security is among the most important responsibilities of a president. We need to continue to pursue Al Qaeda and others who seek to harm our people. We need a multi-faceted strategy to combat our enemies, and military options should never be completely off the table. But endless wars--and especially the wrong wars--do not make us safer nor more respected in the world. We need to end the mistake we have made by invading Iraq, help the Iraqis clean up the mess we have made, and leave responsibly.
Senator Obama and I share many of these beliefs.
Energy Independence and Climate Change
Many of the issues on this list are linked, and these two especially. Our dependence on oil undermines our national security, severely damages our planet, and rapidly depletes a finite resource. We as a nation have to lead the world in kicking our oil habit. While we need to drill to satisfy our near-term needs, we need to invest immediately in a broad strategy to reduce and eliminate oil consumption as fast as possible. I do not think there is a silver bullet here--we must incite innovation in solar, wind, tide, and other alternative methods. We need more hybrid and electric cars. We need incentives for both citizens and corporations to be more responsible. And we need to demonstrate leadership to the world by signing on to the Kyoto protocol.
Done properly, this strategy could create millions of jobs and ignite our economy--nice side effects to an undertaking that is important on its own.
McCain and Obama have similar views on this issue, but Obama's plan is more aggressive and has more urgency.
Economy
I am a believer in the free market, but not a deregulated market. The pursuit of profit and growth are amazing forces that can drive innovation and prosperity. But the cousin of ambition is greed. And greed, left unchecked, will take advantage of market forces and divide the nation into winners and losers, which ultimately brings all of us down. Capitalism operates optimally when balanced with regulation.
I support Senator Obama's economic plan.
Civil Rights
Our country is in a time of transformation. Racism and hate still linger in the shadows of discussions of politics and immigration. States wrestle with the issue of gay marriage. Women are underrepresented in industry and corporate boardroooms, and they still must fight for equal pay. Roe v. Wade hangs by a thread. It is shameful that we do not lead the world in embracing diversity, equality, and ensuring that all our citizens enjoy the same freedoms.
I believe that everyone should be equal under the law. Obama doesn't go far enough on this issue, but he is the closest to my position of any serious contender for office that I've studied.
Guns
I recognize that there are legitimate and responsible gun owners, and that traditions of sportsmanship and hunting have been passed through generations of families. But I hate guns. I believe they bring far more harm than good to our country, and that the gun lobbies (ie. the NRA) have overreached. Under the banner of protecting the 2nd Amendment, they have pursued and supported outrageous policies that have resulted in danger and death.
The candidates don't talk much about this issue--you've got to do research to discern their positions. Senator Obama is not as extreme in his position as I, but based on his record I believe he represents the best hope of reaching toward more appropriate gun controls, including bans on certain classes of weapons, background checks, and waiting periods.
Education
Education could be the most important issue that effects our future economy, prosperity, and standing in the world. We need increased funding, especially for early education. We need accountability in schools and ways to reward good teachers and get rid of underperforming ones, but it needs to be based on long-term results--not a single standardized test. Creationism may be an important thing for children to learn, as long as they learn it in classes about religion--not in Science class.
For those who choose to advance to higher learning, we should strive to make it affordable through tax credits and financial aid. And we need an increased focus on math, science, and engineering--key fields that will drive innovation and markets into the future.
Senator Obama's views are the closest to my own.
Health Care
While I have serious questions about Obama's healthcare plan, I support the goal of having affordable healthcare for everyone, and especially for children. I believe the plan has to have a balance of regulation of insurance companies, tax incentives that ensure plans are within reach of individuals and businesses, and a government-sponsored plan of last resort for those who can not get coverage any other way.
Obama's plan is not exactly what I have described, and may indeed be impossible to implement, but I believe he has the right objectives in mind.
Supreme Court
The freedoms that we enjoy as a nation directly depend on a balanced court. Seven of the nine current Supreme Court justices were appointed by Republican presidents. With a majority of the judges past the age of 70, and one of them approaching 90, it seems certain that our next president will nominate at least one or two new seats as justices retire. The appointment of these judges will have profound and lasting effects on our nation that reach far beyond the term of the next president. Issues such as privacy, equality, civil rights, abortion, executive power, checks and balances, and other unforeseen issues will be brought before the court over the coming decades. Let's make sure the court is balanced, ensuring the arguments are long, the discourse is detailed, and the issues have all their aspects explored and exhausted before they are decided.
Based on Obama's voting record on recent appointments, the fact that he taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago, and his positions on several of the issues that hang in the balance, I trust him to make the right appointments to the court.
Leadership
The most important things that the next president will do are not yet known. The way that a president reacts to the unknown will largely be a product of his temperament, leadership, knowledge, and willingness to weigh conflicting opinions.
The most important reason I am voting for Obama is because of what I have observed about his leadership over the last two years. Obama didn't just run for president. He founded a movement. He built a big campaign organization that by all accounts was one of the best-run ever. He led an amazing campaign through a tough primary fight right up to the convention, and continued on through a national campaign. He wasn't always perfect--I was troubled to see some of the more negative tactics, especially just after the Republican convention--but for the most part he stayed cool and above the fray even when under pressure or attack.
Senator Obama surrounds himself with advisers and experts that are more experienced than himself, including some who may not agree with all of his views. He has an appreciation for debate and discourse--a value on which our nation was founded, but which has decayed of late. I am a big believer in consensus-building, and it simply can not be done without all reasonable voices being heard.
He makes careful choices based on the right reasons. There is perhaps no better example than his choice of Senator Biden as his running mate. Mr. Biden is a seasoned leader, but he has his faults. Biden was probably not the choice that brought the most votes to the ticket, but he was certainly the choice that will be of the most help and value in the administration. I did not understand it at first, but now the Biden choice demonstrates to me that Obama could see past the campaign and into the office.
Senator Obama is visionary, inspirational, honest, and competent. For these reasons above all others, I choose him as my candidate for president.
I do not wish to paint a messianic image. I am not without concerns about an Obama presidency. Obama has relatively brief experience in national politics. His vision is so sweeping that large parts of it will be either unattainable or unaffordable. I suspect that more of us will end up paying more taxes than we are led to believe. Perhaps most troubling, Obama is faced with unreasonably high expectations--expectations to which no one could ever live up. Obama certainly has the potential to be a great president, but the bar has been set so high and the field is in such disrepair that I doubt any real records can be set.
No candidate is perfect, but Obama has my vote.
, Chris Steiner claims that an increase in the price of gasoline could go a long way toward reducing obesity rates in America. An excerpt of the book was recently published in Forbes magazine.
Recent Comments