Tomorrow, the fate of the American people will be decided.
After tomorrow, the yard signs will be taken down. The election pins put away. There will no longer be MSNBC marathons. No more debates. No more advertising campaigns.
I voted on the third day of early voting. For me, the choice was clear. Obama is my President and I want four more years of him in the highest office in this land.
It is true. There are conflicting views of America's future and Obama's vision is the one that I truly believe in and that resonates with me. I want an America that I can be proud of. I want an America that can truly boast that it is the greatest nation in the world. I want an America that takes care of its vulnerable, its sick, its aging. I want an America that does not hate based on color, race, religion, gender and sexual orientation. We are better than that. I want a nation who gives everyone a fair shot at education, at success, at transcending their current economic stature.
When I see Obama speak, I see a man who speaks from the heart, a man of integrity and dignity. I have seen him bat for me and my fellow middle class Americans the last four years. It has been tough, at times, petrifying, but this guy has held steady and has been on my side the entire time. Unlike many, I (along with other middle class households in my circle) was fortunate that in the scariest possible time, I bought my first house in America, thanks in part to Obama's stimulus bill. I had kept my job, not without sacrifices and salary cuts. In return, I have reinvested back in the economy - bought a brand new car, traveled more than most (sometimes capriciously), and spent money on many things. I know I am lucky and I don't take that for granted, but I'm just one example that the stimulus model worked. I witness it in my life and that of my fellow responsible middle class households around me. In the municipality where I live, I have seen the Recovery Act pump dollars in the local economy through energy efficiency projects that are now saving citizens thousands of dollars every month in energy bills. The bonus is that we are reducing our carbon footprint in the process.
I heard the President's speech in Iowa tonight and he said that he will keep fighting hard for Americans the way he knows how. And I believe it because I have seen it. He has passed Equal Pay for Equal Work. He has ended Don't Ask, Don't Tell. He has passed the Affordable Care Act which, among other things, will make healthcare available that was denied to many Americans before Obama took office. He has ended the war in Iraq and is winding down the war in Afghanistan, just like he said he would. He saved the American car auto industry and I am stoked that cars nowadays have an unprecedented shifted focus to fuel efficiency.
This is the kind of leadership that I want for this country, not just for myself, but for generations to come. This guy, the Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2009, is the one I hope America elects tomorrow.
I don't want someone who lies just to get elected. Moreover, I don't want someone who thinks I am unintelligent enough that I am unable to detect lies. That is just insulting. I don't want someone who has no strong convictions and who is inconsistent about his positions. This country needs someone unwavering and the prospect of having a flip-flopper lead this nation is terrifying. I don't want a warmonger. We have been in war after war and this country is broke and exhausted from it. The nation-building that we need to do is right here at home. I don't want someone who scoffs at climate change and who thinks it's a hoax. I don't want someone who would deny gays equal rights. Discrimination is discrimination.
Last weekend, I knocked on doors and tomorrow, I will be at the polls after work to perform my obligation to this country, a country that has been so good to me. I will help Obama get elected, along with hundreds of believers. At this point, we're not mere supporters. We're part of the process that could shape and change America for ourselves and for future generations.
And if Obama does not win, it will indeed be a sad day. And if Obama does not win, then we as a country deserve that.
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