A New Day in America

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-Thomas L. Friedman

I Didn't Vote For Obama

I Didn't Vote For Obama

by kentuckyscott

Mon Oct 20, 2008 at 01:24:08 PM PDT

I'm a middle-class white guy living in Jacksonville, Florida. I've got a wife and two kids. Because the kids had no school today, I took a vacation day from work, and took the kids downtown to vote early. Fifty-nine minutes later, two smiling children and I proudly sported "I Voted" stickers.

But I didn't vote for Obama.

I voted for my ancestors, who believed in the promise of this country and came with with nothing as immigrants.

I voted for my parents, who taught in the public schools for decades.

I voted for Steve, an acquaintance of mine from Kentucky. (Killed by an IED two years ago in Iraq).

I voted for Shawn, another who's been to Iraq twice, and Afghanistan once, and who'll be going back to Afghanistan again soon -- and whose family earned eleven bucks a month too much to qualify for food stamps when the war started.

I voted for April, the only African-American girl in my high school -- it was years before it occurred to me how different her experience of our school must have been.

I voted for my college friends who are Christian, Jewish, Mormon, and yes -- Muslim.

I voted for my grandfathers, who worked hard in factories and died too young.

I voted for the plumber who worked on my house, because I want him to get a REAL tax break.

I voted for four little angels from Birmingham.

I voted for a bunch of dead white men who, although personally flawed, were willing to pledge their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor, and used a time of great crisis to expand freedom rather than suspend it.

I voted for all those people and more, and I voted for all of you, too. But mostly, I voted selfishly. I vote for two little kids, one who has ballet in an hour, and once who has baseball practice at the same time. I voted for a world where they can be confident that their government will represent the best that is in this country, and that will in turn demand the best of them. I voted for a government that will be respected in the world. I voted for an economy that will reward work above guile. I voted for everything I believe in.

Sure, I filled in the circle next to the name Obama, but it wasn't him I was voting for -- it was every single one of us, and those I love most of all.

Who else is there to vote for?

Got Hope?

Harvey Milk was the first openly-gay person to be elected to public office in the US in 1977. His most recognized speech, "You Cannot Live On Hope Alone," was given in 1978, shortly before he was assassinated.

Watch this video and come November 4th, vote for hope, vote for change.

Bringing Back Inspiration and Hope

I don't know about you, but I am tired of all these negative campaign ads. As I watched Barack Obama make his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention I was filled with such inspiration and hope. Never had I been so uplifted by a politician before. I was happy to see that for once it was about focusing on the positive and what this candidate would do to make things better. But now the pendulum has swung back the other way and both sides are on the attack. The first attack ads I saw were from McCain. In fact, I have never seen a positive video from McCain saying why he's the best man for the job and what he will do to make things better. All I have seen are smear ads that stretch the truth to the max. Of course I understand that Obama has to fight back and stand up for himself. Now every time I turn on the television all I see is doom and gloom- the stock market is falling, our economy is on the verge of collapse, and then all those negative campaign ads on top of it all. Yes, things are bad, but I want to be uplifted. I want to feel inspired. I want to feel hope. So in light of this I'm adding a video I found on Obama's website. One that I hope will inspire you to a more positive place.