My "Official" Endorsement
Dear friends,
I’m writing to you because today, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Hoosiers will cast their ballots in the Republican or Democratic primary races. (If you have already voted, via absentee ballot or early voting, more power to you!) If you need to know where your polling place is, this site will tell you. I first simply want to urge you to vote. Voting is one of our most precious rights as Americans, and I encourage you to exercise it.
Many of you know that I am passionate about social issues and politics, so it won’t come as any surprise that I have strong feelings about this election. However, there is one candidate who I believe in more than any other politician in my lifetime: Sen. Barack Obama.
Being rather liberal politically, I agree with Obama on almost every issue. (I also agree with Sen. Hillary Clinton on most issues.) That doesn’t explain my fierce admiration for him, though. Like many people, I first noticed him when he delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. When he announced his bid for the presidency last year, I was thrilled. I donated to his campaign last summer, although at that point I hadn’t decided if he would be the candidate I would support above all others. I just knew that he was a remarkable individual who deserved the nation’s attention.
Of all his qualities, two rise above all others in my mind: his honesty and his ability to inspire and unite.
For several months, I have actively campaigned for Obama, and one of my favorite things is meeting older supporters. Most people know that Barack is popular among college students; in fact, I barely know any Hillary supporters my age, but I know dozens upon dozens of hardcore Barack supporters. While I like that, and I believe my generation has a great deal to say and offer, I also feel that older people bring a certain wisdom and experience to the table. I’ve met so many "AARP-eligible" people who say Sen. Obama is the best candidate in their lifetime, or since Bobby Kennedy. I met one man who cast his first vote for Adlai Stevenson in the 1950s- he believes wholeheartedly in Obama. I met another woman who has voted Republican her whole life, but feels that Obama will deliver the change this country needs right now. She enthusiastically supports him. It’s amazing to see so many people come out to support Obama- lifelong Republicans, senior citizens, baby boomers, college students, K-12 students, young parents, union workers, white-collar workers, black, white, Hispanic, gay, straight, Christian, Jewish, nonreligious, people who’ve never been involved in politics before… I’ve met people in all of these categories and so many more who support Obama. His ability to unite and inspire is exciting and unprecedented in my lifetime.
I was born in 1986; I’m 21 years old. I’ve been interested in politics and current events as long as I can remember. (This was partially due to my journalist parents, who made sure I remembered seeing the Berlin Wall fall on TV when I was 3.) I really began to form a political identity in 2003 and 2004, early in the Iraq War. Ever since that time, I’ve seen my country horribly divided- not just by matters of opinion, but by deep-rooted prejudice and mistrust. Many people my age felt like they had no reason to believe in the political process to do anything right, noble, or helpful; all they saw was negativity, corruption, black-and-white thinking, partisan gridlock, exclusion, and dismissal of the public’s voice. We wanted to make a difference, but we didn’t see politics as providing any path to that. Is it any wonder that Barack Obama has caught our attention? His message is one of unity, respect, and empowerment. His campaign has already shown the ability to heal divides and bring diverse groups together.
His honesty and integrity also make him stand out. In Illinois, he pushed for strict ethics regulations for politicians. His campaign does not accept donations from PACs or lobbyists, unlike the other two campaigns. Once elected, he wants to be accountable to the people, not to special interest groups. What’s amazing is how much he’s raised without special interests. His campaign has broken fundraising records and continues to do much better than the others, even though many of his donors cannot afford to give more than $5, $10, or $20. This not only shows that people are attracted to his message, but that integrity can work in Washington. It also shows the extensive grassroots appeal he has. I am personally inspired by Obama’s honesty and his desire to make government more transparent and accountable to ordinary citizens.
On a practical note, if Obama wins in Indiana, it will help stop the divisive contest going on right now within the Democratic Party. Mathematically, Clinton cannot win unless she gets a blowout in every remaining primary (which almost certainly cannot happen; Obama is projected to win easily in NC, and even if Clinton wins Indiana, it won’t be by such a huge margin) or there is a massive superdelegate switch (which, again, is unlikely to happen, since it would mean the superdelegates would go against the popular vote). Many articles have been written about this in the mainstream and alternative media. The math has been against her since at least Super Tuesday in February. However, even though her campaign knows this, they’ve chosen to continue against the odds. For a while, that may have been admirable, but at this point, with the odds even more against her, it is destructive. Howard Dean, chairman of the DNC, has called for one of them to drop out after the last primary so the party can begin to unite around its presumptive nominee and confront Sen. John McCain with a united voice. McCain has already had the luxury of a few months as the presumptive nominee and has began to campaign for the general election. Those of you who identify as Democrats probably would like to do the same!
Unless something utterly miraculous happens, Clinton cannot win, and at this point, her continued assault against Obama is just dividing Democrats and hurting our chances in the general election. If you’re a strong Hillary supporter, this may not sway you, but if you’re on the fence, please keep this in mind. In essence, Barack Obama will be the party’s nominee, so the sooner we can stop this contest that’s already been won, the better. Let’s make Indiana the state that makes the final difference! Join me today in voting for Senator Barack Obama!
Your friend,
Kati
PS- Feel free to forward this to your friends; I just ask that you don’t change any of my words. Thank you! :)
