Why I’m voting Obama, part deux

graphic by dankeezer

I’m voting for Obama.  I wrote about that decision a bit back in March.  With 1/3 of voters turning in their ballots early, I wanted to reiterate why I’m voting for Obama.

The reality is that candidates put forth a great slate of proposals that are going to be revised, negotiated, and compromised in order to get passed.  I like his tax plans, focus on community service, health insurance plan and his ambitious approach to fueling a green tech sector and getting America into rehab for her oil additction, but I realize the final product isn’t going to be exactly like the policies he’s campaigning on.  There are always trade-offs.

The intangibles he brings to the Office of the President matter more at this point.

Obama is well-educated and well-informed, and he surrounds himself with others equally prepared to lead in their specialties.  I want a President who is smarter than me.  (Eight years of the guy “everyone” wants to have a beer with hasn’t worked out so well.)

He’ll be using facts and rational thought not ideology to make decisions, so the guy that thinks prayer is the best cure for PMS isn’t going to be presiding over any committee shaping reproductive health policy here or abroad.  Science will guide policy, not religion.

And lobbyists aren’t going to get first dibs on policy after more than 2 million Americans have donated nearly half a billion dollars to the Obama campaign.  Obama will be put in office by the people, and you best believe we’ll be holding him and Congress accountable.

I suspect he’ll ensure continued balance on the Supreme Court as 2-4 justices retired over the next few years.  It shouldn’t swing far right or far left.  Much like he welcomes opinions from all sides, the Supreme Court should be a balanced representation of the people.

In the event you haven’t noticed, the man doesn’t rattle. You need very cool minds prevailing with the economy in upheaval, the education system falling well behind other first world nations, two wars being waged in the Middle East, a global loss of respect thanks to Bush’s incompetence. . . and so on.

At the same time he manages to inspire passion and hope in the people that support his campaign.  Over the next four, hopefully eight, years we need a leader that can successfully encourage Americans to pull together and sacrifice for the long term health of our nation.

As a former law professor, Obama values the Constitution, which has essentially been trampled repeatedly throughout the Bush administration.  He’ll have a team reviewing every executive order written over the last 8 years to nix the ones that go over the line.  An Obama administration will pursue criminal violations made by the Bush administration because “no one is above the law.“  We’ll never turn the page on torture and civil liberties abuses without letting the courts pass judgement on those actions.

Embracing the Constitution will also go a long way to restoring America’s standing in the world, as will embracing diplomacy as the first steps in any international scuffle. We spend more of the federal budget on Defense and Homeland Security than any other program, which is 8x more than France (the silver medalist in military spending). In the 21st century, first world nations focus on soft power (education, cornering jobs in innovative industries, etc), not generating a new arms race.  (PS. Even the legendary Petraeus says we need to talk to our enemies.) I want a candidate who openly embraces diplomacy and doesn’t immediately put war on the table should the phone ring at 3am.

Obama is a candidate for the 21st century, and I, for one, want a bridge to the future, not more of the same.

PS.  Over at Writes Like She Talks, Jill Miller Zimon is counting down 57 reasons you should vote Obama.

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