President-Elect Obama

Let me say first off that the fact that our country elected an African-American president makes me proud of how far our country has come, regardless of what party he or she may belong to.

That said, I'm excited about an Obama presidency and a new direction for the nation. No, I don't agree with him on everything, but I think that he will lead from the middle, as did Clinton.

I'm excited about the return of diplomacy and amicable foreign relations. I think that Obama has what it takes to solve this economic crisis: oversight, alternative energy, and a solution to health care.

I believe he will continue to mature and learn as he listens while in office. I know I've made this comparison a few times, but he reminds me of President Kennedy, idealistic and a little naive when he came into office, but quickly growing and maturing as he gains experience in office.

I am glad that the Democrats aren't filibuster-proof in the Senate and I hope that Obama can put his money where his mouth is and make his ideas happen. I know, though, that he will help us as a nation forget the last eight years and move forward to a better America.

Congratulations President Obama.

Election Day

Well, it's here. November 4. The day we not only elect our new president, but local representatives, senators, and school board members. For those of you that have talked to me about the election in the past few weeks, you have heard that I am changing my vote, and will vote Obama today. I didn't reach this decision easily, so let me tell you how I got here.

I was a McCain fan in 2000, and I was extremely excited when he announced his candidacy this year. My excitement, however, has turned to apathy, then disillusionment as I saw McCain fight rightly into the GOP's model of W. I saw Rovian politics at work again, and as time has passed I question the decision to pick Sarah Palin as his VP.

Early on, my concerns with Obama were that 1) he didn't have the particulars lined out and 2) there is no executive experience on the ticket. As the campaign has progressed, Obama has lined out the particulars- diplomacy, alternative fuels, and getting out of Iraq. And on the experience note, I agree with friends who have argued that nothing really ever prepares you for the job of President. Ex. John F. Kennedy.

While I don't agree totally with Obama's agenda, I do like his focus on foreign diplomacy rather than just relying on brute force and military strength because if you haven't noticed, our military is not the strongest in the world any more. I honestly believe Obama will do more to heal our global image and do more to build back burnt bridges than McCain. On top of that, I despise McCain's health care policy and his plan to get the economy back on track. I honestly believe that Obama will provide the tools to get over the recession faster than another four years of Bush economic policy. More transparency, oversight, a balanced budget, and alternative energy will be the tools to get our country back on track.

I know I will have comments disagreeing with me, but please keep the political trolling off the comments.

Voting

I know I'm extremely political and I think about these things more than most, but I hope that everyone is registered to vote in this coming election. There is a lot that rides on this election, regardless of who you chose to vote for. The most important thing is that each citizen has the privilege and responsibility to participate in our democracy. If you live in Utah, you must have your registration postmarked by October 4 so you don't have to go down to the county clerk. If you are in another state, just google "(your state) voter registration" and you can find the specific rules for your state.

If you live in Utah and need to register to vote, here is a link to the mail-in voter registration form.

Again, regardless of who you decide to vote for, please vote.

Who I'm voting for

So I've had more than a few people ask me who I'm voting for in November, and until a few days ago, I was decidedly undecided. I was one of those independents that liked McCain in 1999 and 2000 when he was bucking the party line and giving W a run for his money. I liked him in the primary, when he still had his maverick leanings, but had become concerned as he toed the party line more and more in an effort to court the conservative vote. Obama may be a little too liberal for my liking, but I felt that the country could use to move a little bit to the left and I felt that Biden was a solid VP pickup.

The two weaknesses of the Obama campaign in my mind are 1) it is full of rhetoric and not involved in the details, as Tenn. Gov. Phil Bredesen pointed out, and 2) there is no executive experience on the ticket. Neither Obama or Biden have been governors.

The weakness of the McCain campaign is that it has become too easy for Obama to tie McCain to a third Bush term and that McCain has lost his footing with independents, like me.

However, the pickup of Sarah Palin was a solid and unexpected move that will swing the independent vote. While she is much more conservative than my thinking, she strengthens the McCain ticket by adding 1) executive experience... she has been a mayor and a governor and 2) she revitalizes McCain's maverick image by her willingness to go against her own party and move toward reform.

I had hoped that there would be a governor on a ticket because while senators may have the ability to work rhetoric and tout their foreign policy credentials, they have never led. They have never stood singly accountable for the success/failure of their own actions. I feel that foreign policy is important in this election, but domestic policy is much more so. McCain has shown his ability to gain bipartisan support for legislation, and Palin has executive experience. Obama's speeches may amaze and awe, but they lack in the details. These are the lessons that Clinton learned in office, and a two-senator ticket won't cut it. Our most effective presidents in the last thirty years (agree or don't with what they've done) have been governors at one point. W, Clinton, Papa Bush, and Reagan to name a few. And we need a president that will get things done.

I hope that the Palin pickup will help McCain regain his maverick tendency and revitalize his campaign. I'll vote for McCain in November because I believe that he will be able to get done a majority of what he wants to do. My hopes are that he will have a bipartisan cabinet and work for the wellbeing of the nation. What do you think?