Wednesday, October 29, 2008

my final presidential elections post


two years ago last week i wrote my first blog post about barack obama. you can read it here. i had just read a time magazine article about his potential run(pictured above), along with a selection of his second book, and found myself an instant fan. since that time i have read both his books, dozens of articles, and nearly every argument for and against him i could find. i watched as he was considering his candidacy, watched almost every debate of the primaries (both democratic and republican), watched him become the dnc candidate, followed every minute of the general elections, and am now writing this final post before the elections next week.

tonight, and almost two years later after i first really learned about him, obama gave his final argument for his vote. if you haven't seen it yet, i encourage you to.



all too often i am accused of blindly following him by those who have never once considered voting outside of their family gop-loyalties and who haven't spent more than a few minutes in total researching the elections. i have been told time and time again that i am supporting someone who they claim goes against everything i should be believing as a christian and latter-day saint.

these are my final words - as abstract as they may be:

i believe it is urgent that we seek measures to get out of a war that has killed thousands of americans, hundreds of thousands of innocent, and has wasted billions of dollars. i believe that we need to establish economic plans that seek to help out those who are truly in need. i believe we need to seek health care plans that best help those who are sick and cannot afford the medical aid to live. i believe we need to create a society that grants equality to all and doesn't discriminate because on race, ethnicity, religion, or gender. i believe this largely because of the values i was raised with. i believe that the needs to find peace, help the poor, heal the sick, and lift the oppressed are not only the ideals that we should share as americans, but are the ideals we are taught to hold as christians and latter-day saints.

how you may vote is obviously up to you. it is each of our duty as americans to inform ourselves as much as possible before we vote. the life of our nation depends on it. if you haven't yet, i encourage you to really look at the candidates and their platforms. ignore the negative attacks that they (and i) have been pushing, and ask yourself which candidate is it that best aligns with your ideals, faith, and goals for our nation.

and then vote.


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8 comments:

  1. great post! thanks for this! i have loved all of your political posts.
    obama/biden 2008!

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  2. Thank you for this post. I well remember that post two years ago, and the conversations that came into light after that. It was fun to join to along in the ride these past two years - and on for the next eight!

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  3. November 4 can't come soon enough! I'll be in Washington for his inauguration in January. What a day that will be.

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  4. two separate letters from separate people have appeared in byu's daily universe comparing obama to hitler. i really can't wait for this to end.

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  5. I read your first post about Obama and have been researching him ever since then too. I loved his last ad last night. It was amazing.
    I agree with your statements in your post. A few weeks ago I was visiting my family and my older sister told my mom she was confused about this election and didn't know who to vote for. My mom said, "Vote Republican". It totally drove/drives me crazy.

    At least I can go to vote feeling proud of myself for having researched both candidates thoroughly, and came to my own conclusion based on my own beliefs.

    Thanks for all of your political posts. I feel more support here - for being an LDS person that's voting for a Democrat - than anywhere else.

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  6. I remember reading that TIME article too (after you posted it here). I knew who Obama was, but was honestly pretty skeptical of his presidential qualifications and prospects at first. But once I began to get acquainted with him, I was converted.

    It's been an exciting two years. I can't believe we've made it this far. The last week has seemed excruciatingly long. I can't wait until, sometime late Tuesday evening, Obama is declared the President-elect of the United States.

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  7. By the way, Joe, we should totally meet up in D.C. in January for Obama's inauguration.

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