Let the Games Begin!

Today is the first day of the Republican National Convention. We've already had the Democratic National Convention. Now the fun will really begin. First of all, let me preface this by saying that I am a die hard Democrat--but then if you read my blog regularly, you already know that. I haven't always been, however. I voted Republican in my first two elections. Probably because I was young, unaware, and content with the status quo. What happened? Ronald Reagan is what happened. In 1980, I voted Democratic for the first time and have ever since. Ronald Reagan terrified me and to this day I will never understand why the conservatives worship him so much. Don't get me wrong, though. I'm not one of those who just vote my party line without thinking. I just vehemently disagree with every policy the Republican Party has put into play. It is frustrating though to not be enthusiastic about one's candidate which has been my experience. 1992 changed all of that. I was totally psyched about Bill Clinton. I was enthusiastic and I felt that for the first time I was actually voting for a candidate rather than just voting against his opponent. This feeling repeated in 1996. After that, it's been back to the same old thing. Don't get me wrong--I liked Al Gore and John Kerry. I just wasn't enthusiastic about them. This year, I experienced the enthusiasm once again. I supported Hilary Clinton and I was totally psyched during the primaries that she started out doing so well. When she lost the bid for the White House, I felt that same ambivalence once again. That is until last Thursday. I always liked Obama but last Thursday night I finally drank the Koolaid. He hit nail on the head in his speech--again and again and again. And the Clintons did me proud by enthusiastically endorsing him. They need to drive that message home because there is so much riding on this election. 

I must admit that I am puzzled by the Republicans' desire to have a "regular person" running for VP or any other high office. I meet people who like that. I have a relative who voted for Bush because "he talks just like I do." Excuse me? I love regular folks. I am one. But I want an exceptional person running the country not my next door neighbor! I want someone intelligent, thoughtful, reflective, experienced, well spoken etc. etc. etc. Not some maverick who doesn't understand how Washington works. I've lived in the DC area all my life. One has to know how to work the system. Being a "Washington insider" is not a bad thing if you use your knowledge of the system to enact change. I believe that is what Barrack Obama and Joe Biden will do. The thought of John McCain being old and his running mate having no clue about living in a diverse world terrifies me. The woman was mayor of a town of 7000 and governer of a state of 600,000. Tell me--how diverse is Alaska? Pardon me if I just don't get it. More important than experience is the issue of judgement. George Bush had years of experience. Add his years to those of John Ashcroft and Ronald Rumsfeld and I bet you have more than 100 years of experience. Look what those years of experience have cost us as a nation. We have gone from peace to war, economic surplus to record deficits, global respect to global loathing, and the list goes on.  So here is a list of why I believe Obama needs to win this election:

• the war needs to end
• we need to regain our standing in the world
• we need qualified people in positions of authority ("Heck of a job, Brownie")
• we need to take care of the earth and not abuse its natural resources
• we need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and explore alternative energy sources
• I believe in our right to free speech
• I believe that patriotism doesn't mean blindly accepting what the administration tells us to believe
• we need to lift people out of poverty, not put more people into poverty
• we need to create jobs in the United States, not ship more jobs overseas
• we need to educate our children adequately and appropriately, not have them slaving over math and reading tests all day.
• we need to find a way for everyone to afford a higher education
• we need to provide health care to everyone
• we need to protect a woman's right to choose
• we need to protect lesser species from extinction
• we need to all have a voice

If you are not registered to vote.  Please register.  I won't tell you who to vote for.  You have to make that decision on your own.  But please exercise your constitutional right to be heard. Please don't refuse to participate then complain about the outcome of this election.   We are one of the few nations on earth that gives all its citizens a voice.  Please use yours.  There is just too much at stake.