I voted today
I cast my vote for Barack Obama in California's primary this morning.
Here's a major reason why I did (Via WWdN: In Exile.):
"When I am this party's nominee, my opponent will not be able to say that I voted for the war in Iraq; or that I gave George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran; or that I supported Bush-Cheney policies of not talking to leaders that we don't like. And he will not be able to say that I wavered on something as fundamental as whether or not it is ok for America to torture - because it is never ok… I will end the war in Iraq… I will close Guantanamo. I will restore habeas corpus."
While I'd certainly vote for Clinton in the general election vs any of the Republican front-runners, I love having the option of voting for someone who has a record of voting his conscience, even when it's not popular, or politically expedient. We need a leader with a commitment to restore our civil liberties and relinquish the power (unconstitutionally) seized by the current administration.
And though I may get flack for this, I'd love to know I live in an America that's capable of electing a black man to the presidency. Race clearly *shouldn't* be an issue in this election, but I fear that there's still enough residual racism in pockets of the country that it might be.
(Of course, I would feel some degree of satisfaction with the comparable feat of electing a woman to the white house, but to me that feels like less of a stretch. Either way, if the Democrats win, it'll be a historic event.)
Here's a major reason why I did (Via WWdN: In Exile.):
"When I am this party's nominee, my opponent will not be able to say that I voted for the war in Iraq; or that I gave George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran; or that I supported Bush-Cheney policies of not talking to leaders that we don't like. And he will not be able to say that I wavered on something as fundamental as whether or not it is ok for America to torture - because it is never ok… I will end the war in Iraq… I will close Guantanamo. I will restore habeas corpus."
While I'd certainly vote for Clinton in the general election vs any of the Republican front-runners, I love having the option of voting for someone who has a record of voting his conscience, even when it's not popular, or politically expedient. We need a leader with a commitment to restore our civil liberties and relinquish the power (unconstitutionally) seized by the current administration.
And though I may get flack for this, I'd love to know I live in an America that's capable of electing a black man to the presidency. Race clearly *shouldn't* be an issue in this election, but I fear that there's still enough residual racism in pockets of the country that it might be.
(Of course, I would feel some degree of satisfaction with the comparable feat of electing a woman to the white house, but to me that feels like less of a stretch. Either way, if the Democrats win, it'll be a historic event.)