I should begin by saying that I have a good measure of respect for both presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. I think they are both much better leaders of our nation than the current president.
That said, I am voting Obama come November 4th. Here’s a somewhat random list of the reasons why:
A Community Organizer: When did this become a bad word? His whole campaign apparatus has been around
getting people to organize themselves in their own communities, rather
than building a gigantic top-down marketing campaign. It isn’t a
campaign at all as much as a movement. What would that look like in the
White House? I’m not entirely sure, but it’s exciting as hell.- He Will Talk to "the Enemy": Obama’s interest in the power of diplomacy, negotiation and "soft power" resonates with my Quaker-ish peace testimony very much. Much of our standing in the world has declined because of our unwillingness to meet with foreign leaders we disagree with.
- A Global Citizen: Obama will work with the United Nations, not against it. We have a tremendous resource at the UN to extend our values and standing in the world, which we have mostly squandered during the Bush years. Obama gets this, McCain doesn’t.
- Will End the War in Iraq: Obama is committed to getting us out of the morass of the Iraq War in a timely and considered fashion. Our role there needs to be one of supporting their own civil society and government, giving them the reins to be self-sufficient as a peoples.
- Treats Climate Change Seriously: One in four mammals are threatened with extinction! As a mammal and an earth-dweller, I need a leader who will lead this nation toward a more sustainable future.
- Inspirational:This is perhaps the least substantive reason for why I’m backing Obama. But I do want a leader that gives me hope about America as a positive force in the world, about Americans uniting as a people around important shared values of tolerance and human dignity and fairness.
I could go on and on. And in the days running up to the election, I will. Go, Obama, go!
[CC-licensed image by Robtjak. Original artwork "Obama-man" by Alex Ross.]