Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Obama, Independents, and Republicans

Another Old White Guy Who is Voting for Obama

Dear Stephanie,
I guess that you are not the only one listening to right-wing radio, so we don't have to. Apparently a co-worker - sick of NPR's coverage of the steroid hearings in Congress - tuned into Rush Limbaugh on his way back to the library from lunch yesterday and relayed the following story to me: Rush took a caller who started his tirade with the usual "I've been a life-long conservative BS..." then he added a twist that just about made Rush apoplectic - the caller went on to say, "I'm voting for Barack Obama, 'cuz John McCain and Barack Obama is both liberals, but I would rather vote for the guy who is honest about his position..." This comment apparently shocked Rush into momentary stunned silence. Just thought you might enjoy hearing about the new constituency from which Obama is culling some votes - ain't it grand???

This is not a unique story, rather just about everyone who is paying any attention to politics these days can tell a similar tale - a story about a brother, a father, a formerly right-wing relative or friend who has decided to throw her/his lot in with Obama. This is significant because these are the folks who are likely to decide the next election, independents and moderate republicans, and the fact that they are impressed by Barack Obama should make every true Democrat sit up and take notice. Mind you, I have not heard one single moderate republican or independent voter make a similar comment about Hillary Clinton, in fact, just the opposite is often heard when Senator Clinton's name is mentioned. The response typically goes something like this: "If the race comes down to a choice between Hillary Clinton and John McCain, I'm voting for McCain." Case closed - we cannot risk another 4 (or worse 8) years of a republican administration, an administration that has promised to keep the U.S. in Iraq for another hundred years, an administration that is chomping at the bit to bomb Iran, an administration that is so out of touch with the American people that it has promised to extend the tax cuts for the wealthiest people in this country while the middle-class languishes, mired in debt and struggling to pay their bills.

This is simply not an acceptable option, I cannot entertain any scenario that may lead us to this disaster. Right or wrong, that is the frightening future that a Hillary nomination promises, and it is a risk I am not willing to take with my future or the future of this country, and the planet. The sooner the Clintons realize that their time is past, passe, over and done with, the better we will all be. The sooner we can move on with a real campaign that has already ignited the country and promises to take the nation by storm, the sooner we can reach that better tomorrow that lies just ahead of us, just around the bend. Viva Obama!

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