I remember I was having a hell of a time choosing between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. I was so torn. On one hand, Hillary was a woman. So we had that in common. And at the time I was driving a Jeep and desperate to catch lightning in a bottle twice...namely the $.99 a gallon for gas from the Clinton administration.
Yes, I was not looking at the big picture, but I was hurting financially.
On the other hand, there was this young, dynamic candidate who caught my attention. His name is Barack Obama. His mom was a single parent. He is a person of color. And he kept throwing around these words....hope...together....we....change.
Wow. Hope. That was something I hadn't thought about for a while. When was the last time I felt hope regarding a presidential election? It was when Bill Clinton ran for president agains George Bush Sr.
I felt hope that things could be better. Hope that we could turn things around.
When Bill Clinton ran for president the first time, he appeared on MTV and on the Arsenio Hall Show. No other president did that. And I felt like he was really trying to reach me. He was talking about issues that affected me as a young person. And I remember young people, like I was at that time, voted in larger numbers than before.
Now I was getting that feeling again. Here was a new candidate with new ideas telling us that we all had to work together. What a novel concept! And we all sent in what ever funds we could to help his campaign along. $5 here $10 there....maybe $25.....all of us...we were working together.
It was time to vote in the primary and I had no idea still who to vote for.
I took my ballot and just stood there...for 20 minutes...just staring at my ballot not knowing who to vote for. Hillary or Barak? Some old lady even asked me if I was confused by how to fill out the ballot....no I was just confused as to whom I would give my precious vote.
So, I finally filled in the bubble next to the name of my candidate....Barack Obama. And I hoped I had made the right decision.
In my gas guzzling Jeep, on the way to work, I heard that the family of Ceasar Chavez endorsed Hillary Clinton...gulp....did I make the right choice?!?!?
I'm not sure when it was, but I saw a speech Barack Obama made. I don't remember if it was a speech made after the primary, or if it was a clip recycled after having cast my ballot. But Barak Obama made a statement about being appauled that a gallon of milk cost as much as a gallon of gas.
DING!!!
I knew at that second that I made the right choice. While we are still in Iraq, while New Orleans is still in shambles, while houses are being forclosed left and right, Barack Obama made a statement that spoke to me. I was strapped financially and milk is very expensive. And my daughter drank it like it was going out of style. You know things are bad when you go to the market and milk becomes a luxury purchase.
The cost of food is a huge concern for those of us raising children on a single income. And he got it. My issue is important to him. Feeding my child is important to him. And that's why he has my vote.
After he wins the election, and after he fixes the budget, and he ends our dependance on foreign oil, and saves the polar bears, and gets us the hell out of Iraq, I'd like to sit down with Barack Obama and have a nice tall glass of milk.
I have accepted Barack even tho I really wanted Hil, but that wasn't in the cards for her and us this time out. She was a class act this week. I was impressed more tonight by Barack than any time the last few months so I am finding it easier to support him, plus that lump in your throat moment when he teared up briefly after his speech and as he and his wife and beautiful girls stood there, young, strong and the future personified. I am was actually proud to witness a historic moment like that, and even happier that my kids will never recall a day when a black man isn't a viable candidate for president. Eric couldn't even imagine it and Bryan, who will be 25 this fall, barely can. Some day soon the bulk of the voters won't have ever found a name like Barack Obama odd or different. Progress creeps on, and for women, too. I'm on board. *Climbs off the soapbox, don't look up my skirt*
ReplyDeleteGreat thoughts. Difficult decision yes. It's even a more difficult decision when you are an Independent or Moderate. It's an interesting time and interesting election.
ReplyDeleteI liked Hillary because I could relate to her, and perhaps her to me, as a female. I felt she had good ideas on healthcare, but what I was really moved with was the thought of change. This Nation needs change in so many directions in order to stay strong, and I want to believe in my heart and soul that Barack Obama is the right person for the job. I think I spent a total of 20 seconds in the voting booth and left feeling very confident, and somewhat powerful after filling in my little bubble. Great blog and good reminders of those everyday struggles that some take for granted.
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