This Election is Bigger than Obama

October 31st, 2008 · 3 Comments

For those of you who don’t know, I’m voting for Barack Obama, and I hope that you will too.

But this election is about more than his historic candidacy - this election is about what it means to be American.

Frankly, I’ve taken no glee in bashing the Republican Party this year - nothing about the last 8 years is that funny when you’re faced with the prospect of 4 more.

There’s nothing funny about the sheer corruption and pandering of the push for offshore drilling, claiming the project will help gas prices even though it wouldn’t yield oil for decades. (I say “wouldn’t” because I still hope that it won’t happen)

There’s nothing funny about gutting the Endangered Species Act, or Sarah Palin’s belief that protecting species just gets in the way of industry.

There’s also nothing funny about the erosion of our civil liberties or the dismal perception of America abroad or the hate-mongering and racism that has defined the Republicans’ increasingly desperate campaign, but those are all stories for another blog.

This election is not about one candidate, or one party, or even one election; after the disaster that is the Bush Presidency, the 2012 election is a referendum on our nation’s character.

Are our morals contingent on our fear? Is our military policy dictated by security or by economics? Is our economy based on an honest market, or has big business lobbying fully corrupted our Democracy? Will our dialogue tolerate bigotry and jingoism, or will we repudiate Nixon’s “Southern strategy” as the cynical, racist incitement that it is?

This election is bigger than Obama.

This election is bigger than the next 4 years.

This election is about who we want to be, and how we want to be seen.

Can you forgive yourself if you don’t have a say in that? VOTE! - if you don’t, ask yourself if you can live with the consequences.

See you Tuesday.

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Tags: politics

3 responses so far ↓

1 On Being The Change I Wish To See - Sherri // Nov 1, 2008 at 2:11 pm

I totally agree with you and the questions you’ve posed. This election is about who we are as a nation and who we want to be.

I already voted early for Barack Obama, I’ve made phone calls to Indiana and Pennsylvania, and as soon as I get my new cell phone, I’ll be making even more calls all the way through election day until the poles close in Hawaii if necessary. I broke my old cell phone dialing it so much this week. It was old and due to be replaced anyway. I’m going down to local Obama headquarters today and tomorrow to use their phones to make more calls.

I have never been active in politics or volunteered for a campaign or donated money to a candidate before. I’m 47, so I’ve been voting for decades. This year I’ve done all three for the Obama campaign.

I’m also a Republican and very ashamed of the shenanigans the party has been carry on for years. I’m changing my registration as soon as this election cycle is over. I’ve been on the fence about changing it for a long time and thought I would during the Clinton years and I was really mad after the 2000 election, but I got busy and never changed my affiliation. I used to think it was enough to just not vote for the dirty-tricks Republicans on the ticket, but that’s not good enough any more.

It is a moral imperative to change my party affiliation. I will not be associated with a political party that gleefully takes part in such horrible behavior, believes they are right in doing it and does it systematically.

Just one note of advice and warning: when you vote make sure you take a photo ID. If you don’t have one you can usually get one at your DMV even if you don’t drive. They will mark your license as not allowed to drive or ID only. If your ID is expired, get it renewed before going to the poles. Vote early if you can. And don’t accept a provisional ballot unless that is your only option.

I posted an article on the linked blog on how to deal with corrupt election practices and attempts to disenfranchise voters. It’s called “Steal Back Your Vote”. The Republicans will steal this election if they can, so we have to not only vote, but be vigilant, know our civil rights, and stop them.

If you can vote early, go and do it NOW! Don’t wait.

Sherri
2 jackie sheeler // Nov 6, 2008 at 8:59 am

i was also paralyzed with election dread. and yesterday i was paralyzed with delight, that was a nice change!

thank god the american people have decided to put some brains back into the white house.
3 Miss Gisele B. // Nov 7, 2008 at 10:42 am

These have been the most talked about elections in recent memory. People from around the world were waiting to see what Americans would decide.

The next 4 years will be history in the making at so many levels.

This is a great post!

Miss Gisele B.