Vote Obama on Nov. 4th
I realize I may be preaching to the choir on this one, but I felt the need to express my support for this man.
For the record, I am not a partisan when it comes to politics. When I visited my grandmother up in Griffith, Indiana before I moved to Seattle, we had this discussion about the soon to be democratic presidential nominee. She said she's voting for the party and not the man. I told her I feel the opposite.
I stayed out of the debates last summer. Between the two dozen or so candidates seeking their respective parties nomination, I figured what's the point. After the past two elections filled with disappointment, both with the outcomes and the prospective candidates, I had more or less decided I was done caring about politics.
Around January, inspired by the cautious optimism of my friend and co-worker Charles, I decided that I would engage in an experiment. I would vote like how most Americans vote. Namely, pick a pet issue and go with that. For an IT geek, that was easy. Net neutrality. The only candidates who had anything to say on the subject were Ron Paul and Barrack Obama.
As time went on and it started to become more and more obvious who would win their parties nomination, I started to listen to the man's speeches, read his book. I began to respect his vision for this country, warts and all. His recognition of the progress that this country has achieved married with his realization of our globally intertwined future struck me as the first articulate vision I had heard from a presidential candidate, nay anyone running for public office, in my adult life.
But I have done my best to remain rooted in pragmatism. My friend Petra brought up a important point with me many months ago and I cannot agree with her more. This country definitely needs a viable third party. We are the only democratic republic in the world who does not have one. This supposed tug of war between the left and the right, between red and blue, between liberal and conservatives has created this air of venom and bitterness about politics.
Also, even if Barack is elected, if he seeks re-election in 2012, he will receive a very critical review of what he has accomplished in his administration to win my vote again.
But that old idium, about how all politics is local, has rung true for me this year. I've seen the kind of environment that is necessary to initiate change. If he has done nothing else, he has reminded me what you can accomplish when you are inspired. I would not have made this move out to Seattle, WA if I wasn't able to envision a better future for myself.
His call to service is inspiring. His critic of President Bush's call to calm shortly after 9/11 sealed the deal for me. Bush asked us to shop. Obama is asking us to serve our community and our country. I like the idea that Henry Rollins said of updating the software of the OS in which you operate.
More than any other story he has told on the campaign trail, the one where his grandfather, the one who severed in Patton's army, took him to a parade to celebrate the American astronauts return from the moon. He turns to his grandson son and says, "This is what makes this country great. That if we set our minds to something, anything is possible." I've heard this sentiment repeated from my friends and associates from all walks of life. To a professional Dominatrix, to my elderly Grandmother, to my younger brother. It is true, it doesn't always get realized and it is certainly not easy.
That is why I cast my vote for Barrack Obama as president of the United States and I encourage you to do the same if you have already.
And now the obligatory surge of links.
http://obeygiant.com/voteforchange/saul-williams/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq8Uc5BFogE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfjQujYrfEk
I'll see you kids in the future.
For the record, I am not a partisan when it comes to politics. When I visited my grandmother up in Griffith, Indiana before I moved to Seattle, we had this discussion about the soon to be democratic presidential nominee. She said she's voting for the party and not the man. I told her I feel the opposite.
I stayed out of the debates last summer. Between the two dozen or so candidates seeking their respective parties nomination, I figured what's the point. After the past two elections filled with disappointment, both with the outcomes and the prospective candidates, I had more or less decided I was done caring about politics.
Around January, inspired by the cautious optimism of my friend and co-worker Charles, I decided that I would engage in an experiment. I would vote like how most Americans vote. Namely, pick a pet issue and go with that. For an IT geek, that was easy. Net neutrality. The only candidates who had anything to say on the subject were Ron Paul and Barrack Obama.
As time went on and it started to become more and more obvious who would win their parties nomination, I started to listen to the man's speeches, read his book. I began to respect his vision for this country, warts and all. His recognition of the progress that this country has achieved married with his realization of our globally intertwined future struck me as the first articulate vision I had heard from a presidential candidate, nay anyone running for public office, in my adult life.
But I have done my best to remain rooted in pragmatism. My friend Petra brought up a important point with me many months ago and I cannot agree with her more. This country definitely needs a viable third party. We are the only democratic republic in the world who does not have one. This supposed tug of war between the left and the right, between red and blue, between liberal and conservatives has created this air of venom and bitterness about politics.
Also, even if Barack is elected, if he seeks re-election in 2012, he will receive a very critical review of what he has accomplished in his administration to win my vote again.
But that old idium, about how all politics is local, has rung true for me this year. I've seen the kind of environment that is necessary to initiate change. If he has done nothing else, he has reminded me what you can accomplish when you are inspired. I would not have made this move out to Seattle, WA if I wasn't able to envision a better future for myself.
His call to service is inspiring. His critic of President Bush's call to calm shortly after 9/11 sealed the deal for me. Bush asked us to shop. Obama is asking us to serve our community and our country. I like the idea that Henry Rollins said of updating the software of the OS in which you operate.
More than any other story he has told on the campaign trail, the one where his grandfather, the one who severed in Patton's army, took him to a parade to celebrate the American astronauts return from the moon. He turns to his grandson son and says, "This is what makes this country great. That if we set our minds to something, anything is possible." I've heard this sentiment repeated from my friends and associates from all walks of life. To a professional Dominatrix, to my elderly Grandmother, to my younger brother. It is true, it doesn't always get realized and it is certainly not easy.
That is why I cast my vote for Barrack Obama as president of the United States and I encourage you to do the same if you have already.
And now the obligatory surge of links.
http://obeygiant.com/voteforchange/saul-williams/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq8Uc5BFogE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfjQujYrfEk
I'll see you kids in the future.