No Delusions

Normally, I'd want to vote Republican tomorrow. Not because I always vote Republican, I don't. However, I’d like to vote for some form of gridlock, because a Democratic domination of both the Executive and Legislative branches, frankly, scares me. For me it has nothing to do with which party is in control, because in general they both stink. It has everything to do with a single party having too much control. And that is exactly what the majority of Americans are going to vote for tomorrow. But, so be it.

I used to like McCain. I liked him because he was a… wait for it… wait for it… a maverick. He actually was. He used to be one of the most bi-partisan politicians in Washington. But when you have redeeming qualities, you don’t need to keep telling people about them in short sound bites. So why has he felt it necessary to say the word maverick at every opportunity? The word “maverick” has been so overused, so bastardized by the McCain campaign that it makes me sick when I hear it. Top Gun will never be the same.

But McCain didn’t lose this election by regurgitating meaningless "drill, baby, drill" slogans and phrases till he was blue in the face my friends, although they didn’t help, he lost it when he chose Sarah Palin as his VP running mate. That, and the disasterous Bush administration sealed the deal, but I digress. If anyone had any doubts about McCain’s decision making abilities, those doubts were absolutely realized with that horrendous pick. I have a feeling that he lost most undecided voters with the Palin debacle.

The differences between the Republican and Democratic candidates are usually nuanced, as they are for the most part with McCain and Obama. Their stances on issues like energy, health care and taxes are not polar opposites although they do differ in a few key areas. Obama’s plan to raise taxes on individuals earning more than $250,000 should be ditched immediately. You do not raise anyone’s taxes during a recession. In my opinion Obama’s energy plan is most worrisome. His lack of interest in nuclear power is ignorant. His carbon tax on coal is foolish. The energy crisis in this country will go from mildly problematic to exceedingly painful in the next ten years. An energy policy that does not include all sources including nuclear and coal, in fact especially nuclear and coal, is incredibly dangerous.

But Obama has one thing that John McCain does not have; the ability to actually lead. And after a disastrous eight years of George Bush (I voted for him one of the two times and have punched myself in the face repeatedly for it) we need a President that can lead. We need a President that can inspire people. We need a President that instills hope. Barack Obama will be that President. John McCain will not. When Obama speaks I’m interested in what he has to say. When McCain speaks it’s awkward and I’m embarrassed for him. I’m tired of being embarrassed every time the President opens his mouth. Is a shred of respect and confidence too much to ask for in a President?

So I’m voting for Obama, but I have no delusions. Water will not be turned into wine. However, things will start to change for the better. We will start to pick up the pieces of this 8 year trainwreck and get back on track. I disagree with several of Obama's stances, but he's young and open minded. He'll surround himself with good people, and under positive influences, open bright minds can change. And change is what we need right now. Long time coming.

Plus, he looks pretty cool smoking a cigarrette.