I have a dream that on November 4, 2008, America will vote for change and return our damaged country to a state of wealth, health, and pride.
I have to admit that Barack Obama wasn't my first choice for a democratic nominee. I'm a Hillary Clinton supporter all the way. In fact, I emailed the New York senator a year before she ever hinted at candidacy, urging her to run, so I was deeply disappointed when she conceded in June. I am even more disappointed that we won't see a woman's name on the ballot this year, but she has brought women leaps and bounds closer to that day by "putting 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling."
That said, I've also admired Barack Obama from the start. Yes, I thought Hillary's experience would make her a better candidate, but I always knew if Hillary couldn't make it, I would support Obama. His vision of what our society should look like, and his passion for making change happen, are exactly what we need at this point.
The republican party says Obama doesn't have enough experience for the presidency. I say, if their gauge for experience is George W. Bush, look at the disaster his leadership has caused. Gas prices have risen out of control, we are at war with a country that had nothing to do with the 9-11 attacks, people are losing their jobs because their employers are moving overseas, our health care system is a joke, the list goes on and on.
Another obstacle is the racism issue. For instance, my boyfriend Robbi and I had dinner with some friends back when Obama and Hillary where still fighting it out for the nomination. I supported Hillary, Robbi liked Obama. Our friends, who shall remain nameless for their own safety, were rooting for Mike Huckabee. Huckabee!
To discourage us from voting for our choices, he told us, "No woman or black man will ever get elected president in this country. No way."
I sat speechless (for a millisecond) before going off on how narrow minded and senseless this idea was. It is the 21st century! But people who think this way are not easily persuaded, and it is the way many Americans still think. This friend of mine is a 35 year old, white, middle class northerner, for God's sake.
Another example of this is my 74-year-old father, who supported Hillary - which surprised the hell out of me, because Hillary is, after all, a female. I was proud of him for supporting her. My old-fashioned dad was able to picture a woman president when so many younger more progressive thinking men could not.
But my pride for him changed to disappointment after Hillary conceded. Dad has decided to vote for Sen. John McCain. Since this is an odd and dramatic shift, given their differences on the war, environment, etc, Robbi asked my dad why he won't vote for Obama, who is the closest candidate to Hillary in terms of their values and vision.
"Because he is black," Dad said, as though that answer should be obvious.
Ugh. So I know there are plenty of those people out there. But I was encouraged by Democratic National Convention turnout. People from all races and backgrounds stood in the overcrowded Denver Broncos football stadium last night and waited in lines up to six miles long to show support and watch Obama's nomination historical acceptance speech last night, proving to the world that racism in America is a dying evil.
Hopefully his ideas and plans will overcome these obstacles. Obama was raised in Kansas by a single mother with little money. He took out loans to get through college. He made it the hard way. He knows what needs to change in order for others to have a better life in America, and hopefully, he will be given the opportunity to fulfill that vision.
Obama was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. He will likely be the first black president of the United States. I hope that American's get out to the polls and cast their vote for him this year.
I'm sure Dr. King is smiling down at us now, for making his dream a reality.
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