Thursday, January 03, 2008
Iowa Changed Everything
Today Iowa made a statement for change. After hearing Obama's victory speech tonight, I finally got what I needed. I wanted to be an Obama supporter from the beginning but he stumbled in the debates and he hadn't given a good speech on a national stage since the race began. Tonight he gave his most inspirational speech since the 2004 democratic convention. I think maybe the win gave him the confidence he needed to be more open and passionate. America needs hope, inspiration, and passion. I can't imagine a better candidate to restore those attributes to American politics.
Meanwhile, the Republicans proved they are marginalized and merely a one issue party. They are spitting in the wind by choosing a candidate who renounces modern science, champions a regressive sales tax, and doesn't even read the daily news. I don't think America will buy another conservative Christian who promises to revoke roe v. wade in exchange for raping the middle class and widening the gap between the rich and the poor. The idea of a compassionate conservative may draw Evangelicals in the primaries, but America won't be fooled again. It is the same line that Bush used to get elected and it won't work again this fall.
5 comments:
I TOLD you he was awesome! And I sincerely hope you are right about America - Huckabee scares me and there are many stupid people still out there.
Awesome! That's all I can say. I knew Obama had it in him. And last night he proved it!
Like I've said before debates with 10 candidates simply don't give him the room he needs. Now, with Dodd and Biden gone, even Debates should get better. If only Gravel would drop out, we could hear more than sound bites!
But I'm excited!!!
Last night I stepped out in faith, headed down to the local school gym, and registered as a Democrat (I have always considered myself an independent) and stood up for Obama. Some in my community were surprised that I would support a Democrat (Evangelical = Republican doesn't it?), others were convinced that Obama is really Muslim, still others don't think a pastor should be making political statements (which I do usually avoid).
I had a chance to see Obama in person a couple weeks ago (the wonders of Iowa), and to be honest, he didn't shine the way I hoped he would. But what he stands for as a politician is what I wish politicians would stand for and so I stood for him.
Last night's speech was precisely what I was hoping for from him. A fire, an energy, a passion towards the hope that we can do better than we are doing. I just pray that he can keep it up and I can actually end up voting for someone come November instead of voting against someone.
Being a Ron Paul supporter myself, I do wonder sometimes if my fellow Christians understand that we are electing a Commander-in-chief, not a Pastor-in Chief. As an African American, the fact that a lily white state like Iowa chose Obama further strengthens my belief that our nation does indeed have the ability to judge a man not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character.
"America won't be fooled again." Are you sure? That's pretty much what I told people in 2004, and I was wrong. I'm optimistic for this year, but we have to avoid letting confidence slide into complacency. The right has more experience in fighting hard and dirty, besides having more of a natural disposition for that sort of thing anyway. They aren't going to just stay home and say, "That's OK, it's your turn--we'll let you win this one." Progressives will still have to work long, hard and smart to win.
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