Election Eve... and I'm thinking I should post reasons why we are voting for Obama, following Obama's own example in the "Obamamercial" which focused on what he will do as president, on where we will go as a country, and in which there was no mention of McCain/Palin. It was refreshing and inspiring, and if you haven't seen it, definitely take the time to watch it.
One interesting thing about Obama's speeches in general, is that they are not easily reduced to sound bites and talking points, and, as this Newsweek article from way back in April points out, that is deliberate.
As much as the opposition tries to paint Obama as a radical, extremist, socialist, Marxist, and even terrorist sympathizer, he is winning because he is not any of those things, and in fact, he's a centrist. Of course, when you are looking into the middle from the extreme fringe, like many that try to paint him with those labels, it looks like the opposite extreme. It's all about your perspective.
People in the Middle recognize Obama for what he is, though: http://www.peopleinthemiddleforobama.org/
I think the real strength of his candidacy is that he does speak for the middle – which is to say, the bulk of Americans. Some of us are more left than he is, more green than he is, etc, but I think we feel he will listen to our side, AND he’ll listen to the other side, and he’ll likely make some compromise. I HATE the idea of “clean coal” for example. But I love the idea of investing for the future in clean tech, and really supporting moving in cleaner, greener, more energy independent directions. So there are going to be some things that I disagree with Obama on, but I still think he will make the best decisions as a leader for the whole country, not just the left or right, but all of us.
Not only is Obama the best choice for the bulk of Americans in the middle, he's also favored by the bulk of the rest of the world:
Why Obama is better for the US – and the World
Here is an excellent (and longer) Time article on why Obama is winning. The part about Obama's meeting with General Petraeus was especially telling. He is a leader, and a decision-maker, but also a respectful listener and one who not only knows strategy from tactics, but is a strategic, big picture thinker, which we sorely need in charge. Very good article, with excellent insights into Obama's character and leadership qualities:
Why Barack Obama Is Winning
I’m sure you’ve heard that along with most major newspapers in the nation, the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska’s largest newspaper, has endorsed Barack Obama!
http://www.adn.com/opinion/view/story/567867.html
And other reasons we are voting for Obama...
What Bill Clinton said:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/10/bill_clintons_speech_at_obamas.html
And... what Colin Powell said:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27266223/
And... what The Economist said:
http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displayStory.cfm?story_id=12516666&source=features_box_main
And... what Ronald Reagan said (and a former Reagan ad maker):
http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/10/are_you_better_off_rev_2.php
And... what Tim O'Reilly said:
http://radar.oreilly.com/2008/10/why-i-support-barack-obama.html
And... what Linus Torvalds said: (yeah, that Linus - the Linux guy)
http://torvalds-family.blogspot.com/2008/11/black-and-white.html
(the last two are examples of why techies favor Obama by a very large margin)
Lots of great, clearly spelled out, thoughtful reasons why people support Obama. If he's so extreme, why would so many moderate Conservatives endorse him? He has taken the high road, again and again, telling his crowds they don't need to boo McCain, they just need to vote, for example. Not rising to the various bait that McCain's campaign has dangled repeatedly in front of him, accusing him of first this, then that - he has remained respectful, thoughtful, intelligent, careful yet strong, cool and calm, unflappable, implacable, "no drama Obama" and that, "my friends," is presidential.
Now Get Out And VOTE!
(The nerdy guy in the shirt and tie is my hero, Roy Zimmerman, backing up Laura Love on her song, "Yes We Can.")
