I'm Not Voting on November 4th...

Preface: Yes, I realize what's written below is a little cliche or maybe over the top with the gushy, but so what if it is. I felt the need to point it out.

I'm not voting on November 4th because I already have. I had to do my ballot by mail this election because I guess there wasn't enough people registered in my immediate area, or something or other. I forgot what the letter said exactly, and I don't have it with me at the moment. I was a bit disappointed with that aspect. I was actually looking forward to standing in line the morning of election day, but oh well. At least I got to vote, right?

In the primaries when California participated in Super Tuesday, I was able to walk to the polling place, and vote Obama, and for the general election, I of course went with Barack Obama again. Kind of a no-brainer for me; my mind has been made up since January of this year on who I planned on voting for.

One of the things that I like to think that I'm good at is being a good observer, and the way I see things progressing in this country is that we're inching closer to the center of that political spectrum as it is another generation's turn to step up to the plate. It's our individual experiences that shape our view of the world, and we are not always going to agree, but electing Obama as President would be that shift that this country needs right now.



As Colin Powell said in his appearance on Meet The Press, Obama is a "transformational figure" for us. There are so many things that an Obama presidency will represent for us, and I am hopeful that he is elected. I think it important that we elect him, because in the same way that a main character in a story has to make a decision at the end of the second act/beginning of the third act in order to demonstrate how far he or she has come in their journey, we as a country are faced with something similar. Put it this way, we have to change our environment, before the environment forces us to change.

I'm not saying John McCain isn't an electable candidate, because had I been of age in 2000, I would have voted for him. But somewhere in the time between then and now, I just don't see what I thought appealing about McCain. True, I was only 16 years old by the time the 2000 general election rolled around, but maybe that's all the more reason I'm troubled with what I've seen out of the McCain campaign in the run-up to this election.

I realize that there are a lot of things to be unhappy about these days, but like Ferris Bueller said, "Life goes by pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

So take a moment to think about this election, and I really hope you'll reach the same conclusion about who should win this election, and why Obama needs to be elected. Also, in that same vein, for you Californians, please vote No on Prop. 8.