Final Argument for Obama

This long campaign is finally coming to an end.  I've been getting emails from the Obama campaign for weeks now, asking for volunteers, and other than donating money, I haven't done anything.  So this morning I decided to try to make some calls--I can do it through skype and it's still early Sunday night in the States. After leaving a lot of messages, reminding people to vote and telling them where their polling location is, I finally reached someone.  She very decisively said she did not want to talk about the election and hung up.  At that point I had to stop--I remember how much I hated all the phone calls we got in New Hampshire leading up to the primaries.  

But how to help?  I believe this election is really important, even more so when I look at my sweet boy and imagine what kind of country and world he's going to grow up in.  So this is my what I can do--encourage you all to vote, first of all.  I want Finn to grow up in a country with an active and vital democracy.  And second, please consider voting for Obama, even if you're Republican or pro-life or whatever might keep you from voting for him.  

It used to be more about the issues for me, but lately it has been as much about the character of the man.

When I think about the kind of leader I want Finn to look up to and emulate, I can think of no one better than Barak Obama.  He's an intelligent, kind, hard worker who has truly lived the American Dream, who has a servant's heart, who embodies family and moral values.  He's the only politician I hear talking about the need to teach our teenagers that sexuality is sacred, about the need for parents to turn off the TV and spend time with their kids.

He's even-tempered, rational, positive and willing to think in new ways. The 9/11 commission said that one of the biggest failures on our part that kept us from preventing 9/11 was a failure of imagination.  I don't think Obama will suffer from a failure of imagination, about what could go wrong on the one hand, but even more, about what go right, what could change. He clearly dares to dream big, and I think he will dream big for all Americans.     

He has consistently asked us all to hope this campaign, rather than to fear.  This is the first vote I've cast that was much a vote for someone as against someone. It feels good to vote out of hope rather than fear. But I have to add that I do fear for our country with McCain/Palin at the helm.  I fear more unnecessary wars, I fear increased terrorism, I fear a larger deficit, I fear having two hot-heads close to the trigger of nuclear arms.  If their campaign can't even keep the peace internally, how do we expect them to engage in delicate diplomatic efforts?  

Ok, no more fears. I welcome any discussion about this, especially if you're on the fence. Remember to vote!