Well I got out and voted this morning before work (fortunately, the lines at my polling place were nonexistent). Here's hoping we can clean up the mess of the last eight years.
To me, the election isn’t about one single issue. I suppose there is one—the war—that weighs most heavily on my decision, but my judgment of the candidates is really about something much more general: their view of the world, and America’s place within it.
In the last eight years it’s been very difficult for me to feel national pride. In 2000, I was a bit astonished that GWB “won”, presumably elected on the basis of brand familiarity. And then came that horrible Tuesday that turned everything around, followed by an onslaught of oppressive government policies that felt wrong to me then and feel wrong to me now: The bogus “War on Terror.” The questionable “Patriot Act” (a program which I rejected solely on the basis of its name—pure polarizing propaganda). The Orwellian TIPS idea. The Homeland Security Department’s absolutely humiliating Advisory System, which apparently is meant to let me know that my chances of being randomly blown up are greater on some days than on others (thanks, Orange Alert, I’ll avoid… terrorists[?]… a little bit extra today). And of course, the two wars, one of which was arguable justified but completely abandoned, and another which was justified on the basis of purely lies and personal political greed.
And then they went and re-elected the guy, and what happened? During the second term his popularity plummeted as the fear wore off. And I sat there incredulously. I felt like asking every person who re-voted in Bush in 2004: What exactly did you think was going to happen? The man has just kept up the same boneheadedness that you gave him the all-clear for, and now you disapprove? To quote Amy Poehler: really?
This current election for me is really about worldview. Do you see America as leading the world by force or by example? Do you consider “protecting freedom” to mean “protecting all of the freedoms of as many citizens as possible” or “protecting my own personal status quo”? Do you feel that the President’s role as Commander in Chief is to decide when to start wars or decide how to avoid them? Is America a bully or a friend to the world?
For all of their talk of policies, I know that both candidates are delivering empty promises. I basically ignore anything either has to say on taxes; I know that our current economic state and huge war spending pretty much guarantees taxes will go up, to avoid plunging our country further into debt (which, should Obama be holding office, the Republicans will blame on him).
Now, I do admire quite a bit about John McCain. The man is passionate about changing politics-as-usual. I do admire that he wants to remove unnecessary spending from federal government (which is of course relative… McCain’s world would apparently be one without wasteful projects like, say, planetariums or other educational tools). But the man’s cavalier attitude about war (along with the bone-headed “conquer or surrender” attitude of his running mate) is frankly too dangerous. I fear a world with John McCain’s finger over the proverbial button much more than I fear a world with random terrorist attacks.
So that’s it. It may be expensive and it may be difficult to actualize, but the world that Barack Obama represents is a world of progress. A world where we continue to recognize the inherent rights of more groups of people, and continue to realize that their obtaining protection of those rights won’t threaten our own. A world where we look to our neighbors’ successes as inspiration instead of discounting them for their mistakes. A world where we realize that all humans are created equal, not just the ones that happen to live in your country or your street.
I don’t expect the man to work wonders, and I don’t expect him to solve all of our problems… In fact, I won’t be surprised if he’s able to accomplish very little; I’ll forgive him that. But I can’t take four more years of Americans thinking that they own the place. It’s too big a world for so small a thought.
I’m so happy my husband is a “smarty pants”.
Holy shit. (jumps and points excitedly) Hey that’s my brother that’s my brother!