Why I Voted For Obama

Thank goodness the election is over.  I don’t think I could have taken another week of it. I admit, I am a political junkie.  I surfed the net often for political commentaries, news, and everything else that had to do with the election, and yes I did find myself glued to CNN on several occasions:-).  By the way, I thought they did an excellent job covering the election. Their coverage on election night was superb.  I didn’t care about the holograms at all and found them quite annoying and distracting.  But overall, a job well done CNN.  Even our boys were caught up in the excitement and stayed up to watch the election night coverage with me.  I let them stay up even though it was way past their bedtime and it was a school night.  It was a historic election and a great educational opportunity so it was well worth the exception to our bedtime rules.

I’m glad the election is over because I’m fed up with all the negative campaigning.  I’m really sick of hearing about Joe the plumber.   Maybe now that the campaign is over, Joe the plumber can go back to his day job and finally start paying those taxes that he owes.  I’m glad the election is over because we don’t have to see Palin wink, or make idiotic references to ‘Joe six-pack’ and whatever else came out of her mouth.  Oh, and that interview with Katie Couric.  Wow, I don’t like Palin, but I actually felt sorry for her after watching that.  Well, maybe just for a second.  Hey, if you’re going to put yourself out there and run for VP of the country, we do expect you to actually be able to carry on an intelligent dialogue about important issues.   She’s an expert on Russia because on a good day she can see Russia from her window?  She’s a Governor and she’s that clueless?  I mean seriously, she was a contender for vice president??  What the heck?  Talk about S…C…A…R…Y!!!!!!

I voted for Obama.  Why?  Because he made a better case for president than McCain.  Because I feel that a cooler head is better to lead our country out of the mess that we find ourselves in at this time than someone who looks as if they’re going to go off at any minute, and at the slighest provocation.  Because he came across as someone who will think first and will consider every point of view before rushing to a decision.  Because he convinced me that he will listen and take advice on issues that he doesn’t know much about.  He is intelligent.  He is wise enough to acknowledge that others know more about some things than he does and he is willing to listen and learn from them. He articulated his positions intelligently.  He demonstrated poise, wisdom, restraint, and respect.  He was even respectful towards his opponent as evidenced by all three presidential debates.  McCain, on the other hand, came across as rude, condescending, slightly unbalanced, and angry. 

I should point out that I do not agree with all of Obama’s positions but I don’t expect that there ever will be a candidate that I can agree with 100% of the time. 

I voted for Obama because he did NOT have Palin for a running mate.  I understand she appeals to so many others but she definitely does not speak for me.  I’m a woman, a mother, (sometimes a working mother), a moderate, a conservative, a Christian, and a military wife and I can’t find a single thing to like about Sarah Palin. 

I would love to see a woman take the top position in the country someday.  But that woman is definitely not Palin because for one thing, the first woman president of the United States should be intelligent and knowledgeable about more than just hunting moose.  As a woman, I definitely believe that women can govern just as good or even better than men and I’m hopeful that I will live to see the day when the president of the United States is a woman. 

Unfortunately, there is a very real possibility that we’ll see Palin again in 2012! All I can hope for at this point is that the other party will nominate a woman I can vote for, one that is intelligent, is educated about all the different things that affect our country both here at home and abroad, one that has integrity.  One who has respect for all Americans, one who doesn’t try to divide or instill fear and bigotry.  The list goes one but I’ll settle for these to start with:-).

As a military wife, as an American, I honor and respect McCain for his service in the military.  I respect him as a war hero. I owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude as I do for all the men and women of our Armed Forces.  But this service alone doesn’t make him the best person to lead this country at this time. 

I’m neither a Republican nor a Democrat.  I don’t identify myself with a party because there isn’t one party that has all of the values and ideals that I have.   I vote for the candidate, not for a party.  In other words, it is truly the “character of the person” that matters to me, not the color of their skin, gender, or political affiliation.

I mentioned that I’m a Christian.  I’m a conservative in many ways although I’m probably more moderate than many conservatives.  Some would think that that would automatically make me support a Republican candidate.  But I don’t.  Just because a candidate is a Republican that doesn’t necessarily mean that they have the same values I do.  Let’s take family and marriage for one thing.  As conservatives, we talk a lot about the sanctity of marriage.  We admire and applaud strong loving marriages and families.  Now, when I look at the candidates, it is crystal clear to me which one has a healthy, strong, loving, and mutually respectful relationship with his spouse.  You can stand up and preach all you want about your values but let me see you live it. Let’s see you actually practice what you preach and maybe then we’ll believe you.

One more thing, enough already about the ridiculous argument that we would never be talking about wardrobe if it was a man.  Seriously people, how many men on the campaign trail (either this campaign or the ones from previous years) spent over $150 thousand on clothes?  It doesn’t get talked about because it simply doesn’t happen. 

Finally, as a minority, a Samoan, I’m very glad that Obama won.  I think it is a great step for our country.  I didn’t vote for Obama just because he was a black man.  I voted for him because he was the best candidate.  But the fact that he did win and that he is a black man reaffirms to me that this country, even with all our problems, is the best place for my children to live. 

As my 16 year old son said the night of the election, maybe someday there will be a Samoan-American president.  And as I said to him and to my other boys, “Absolutely! Yes, maybe someday there will be a Samoan-American president and maybe that person will be you.”  Why not my son? Why not your daughter or son?  The glass ceiling is no more!