Political Monday: Character

My friend Ruth and I were discussing the election tonight and I mentioned that this election is unlike any I have experienced in the nearly twenty years I've participated in the political process. It seems that since 1988, when I was two months shy of being allowed to vote, most of the elections have been centered on hot-button social issues such as abortion or gay rights (being allowed into the military or granted the right to marry), or universal health care, but that this election is about America's place in the world, as both an economic and democratic leader. This election is about restoring the principles which made this country great and repairing the tremendous damages by a single dangerously ignorant administration. I feel so strongly about this country's future because I have never felt quite so patriotic and wanted so badly to believe in the truth of the American Dream. I want to see our flag and nation restored in the eyes of a world which once looked to us for guidance. I firmly believe that this is the most important election of my life and that only one man has the values and character to guide us out of the quagmire that George Bush has left us in.

John McCain has waged an erratic and divisive campaign and it is clear by the lies and deceit he's perpetuated in his ads, his handling of the economic crisis and the hateful and dangerous rhetoric he and his pit bull lobbed against Barack Obama last week, that he has little sense of direction and is a volatile and unsafe candidate. The character of the man now is an indication of the character of the man in office. Barack Obama has kept his campaign focused on the issues which are of concern to the American public. He has not used smear tactics and has remained presidential throughout much of the turmoil that has engulfed this country over the past several weeks. I want a community organizer to lead us into the future, a man who knows how to teach others to lead themselves, not a maverick who shows little respect for the greater need of the majority of our citizens. I want a man who is clear-headed and calm, who surrounds himself with a group of advisers who are experienced and intelligent rather than cronies and lobbyists. The country has never needed change as terribly as we need it now. Please speak with your friends and family about the issues that matter most to you. Use your voice, be it in a telephone call or an email or on your own blog, as a force for change. Volunteer in any way you can, if that means canvassing your neighborhood or offering to drive voters to the polls on the 4th. Any effort is better than remaining silent. Silence will not change the world but strangle it.

Be sure to watch the third and final presidential debate on Wednesday, October 15th! Host a party, attend one, talk about with everyone you know.