Paperboy Endorses Obama

I’ve detested George W. Bush for the last eight years, but that didn’t prevent me from honestly looking at both Presidential candidates to hear what they had to say. And after listening to countless speeches, all three debates and reading hundreds of newspaper articles, I’ve made up my mind to vote for Barack Obama for President of the United States on November 4th.

I’ll admit that my mind was already 50 percent made up when I started my “vetting” process – a vetting process more stringent that McCain’s vetting of Sarah Palin. I’ve always been a staunch Democrat, but I honestly took a serious look at McCain.

And what I found was someone who was offering more of the same after eight years of devastation after devastation from President Bush, including:

1) The continuation of a costly and meaningless war in Iraq
2) A “go at it alone” strategy in the War on Terror, which will continue to deteriorate the world view of America
3) Tax cut upon tax cut for rich – really rich – Americans who don’t need it
4) A bad healthcare plan

5) A freeze on government spending that would hurt many beneficial government programs. Of course, there is a lot of waste and pork - like Palin's Bridge to Nowhere - but there are more beneficial than bad government programs that help hundreds of thousands of Americans.

And ultimately – especially in the last few weeks as he got really desperate --McCain is in favor of generating more fear and hate in Americans than promoting hope and dreams of how truly amazing America is and can be in the future. In the last few weeks, McCain hasn’t told America what he would do for them as the President. He and idiots like Rush Limbaugh, Fox News and The Drudge Report have simply tried to scare me and other Americans into not voting for Obama.

And I'm not having any of it.

It’s been a long time that I’ve liked my President.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been proud of my country. Yes, I know Michelle Obama said that and she was blasted for it, but I’m not backing down from that statement. George W. Bush has made me embarrassed to be an American.

I want other countries to respect us as a super power again.

I don’t think it’s “us against them”. I think it’s us working together with other countries to curtail evil in the world so it doesn’t result in the meaningless death of thousands of innocent people.

I’m tired of people caring more about the 2nd amendment than the 1st. It’s been a long time that you could even think about questioning your leadership or express a dissenting opinion without being considered anti-American and a traitor to your country. Isn’t that what free speech is all about? It’s about talking to others who may have different opinions that you, respecting their opinions and reaching a common ground that is acceptable to the general public.

I’m tired of Republicans saying that they want to keep government out of our lives and then they talk about how they want a constitutional ban on gay marriage and want to restrict a woman’s right to choose. Aren’t those two Republican tenets the very opposite of staying out of people’s lives with “big government”?

And I – and I hope all Americans – won’t stand for it any longer. And that’s why Barack Obama needs to be elected on November 4th. He inspires me in his speeches and his core belief that the U.S. isn’t made up of blue and red states, but of the “United” States. His policies will provide benefits to all Americans and help us get back on our feet.

I think this election will make the world think different of America then it has in the last eight year. Do you think – after 8 years of bigoted, "go it alone" hatred against people from other countries – that the rest of the world thinks that the U.S. is progressive enough to elect a black man? Let’s shock the rest of the world, and show them what America has always been about: A mixing bowl of people from different races, religions and beliefs coming together.

I think Obama will restore our national pride, make us again a leader in education, energy policy, economics and technology around the world. He’ll listen to his opponents and be willing to work with and accept their ideas/differences while taking responsibility for his actions. I’m hoping and praying that Obama becomes our next President on November 4th. Yes, I'm from a "blue state" and believe in God, contrary to what the McCain-Palin ticket might lead you believe..

If Obama is elected, I truly believe that he'll unite our country again and bring light to our country after years of complete darkness.