Divided We Fall

Anyone who has read any of my writing knows that I did not vote for Barack Obama. In fact, I have probably dedicated a fair amount of writing to why I oppose him. Most of that writing focused on the policies and plans that he has for our country for the next four years. His big government spending proposals are either a lot of hot air because he won’t be able to implement them or if he does manage to implement them he will end up bankrupting our country. As has been stated numerous times, we can’t expect that spending more money to fix things is going to solve the problem. That is a large part of Barack Obama’s plan. The problem is that we don’t have any money to spend. Even today, after the election, I stand by every word that I wrote. I still don’t believe that big government is the answer. I am of the mind that if we really want change in this country, the baby steps that we are taking are not the way to go. Let’s jump right in and make some real, drastic changes. I cast my vote for this kind of real policy change. Barack Obama does not support drastic policy changes in Washington and that is the reason that I could not vote for him.

I was, however, as proud as any American when I watched his acceptance speech. I knew that I was witnessing change of a different 

variety. It wasn’t the policy change that I wanted, but it was a change in tone. It was a change in our attitude about the country and of the attitudes of both our allies and those that oppose us around the world. In his capacity to be an inspiration to the world, Barack Obama is the right man for the job. In his acceptance speech, he set the tone that divisiveness was a thing of the past and that we would finally have a leader that listened to the people. This is something that we need right now. Our elected officials have forgotten that this is not their government. This is OUR government and we give them to privilege to represent us in the halls of Congress. Obama echoed this when he stated that this election “proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This victory is yours.” Whether the tone of unity will turn into anything concrete, I admit, I’m still a skeptic. Only time will tell. I was, however, struck by the conviction in Obama’s voice.  I knew when he said it, that he meant it.

Obama also changed the tone of our country during his speech from one of sheltered absurdity of Bush to an open minded realism. He acknowledged that “the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime – two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century” but veiled the harsh reality of our current situation with what we really need right now above all else: hope.

The overarching message of Obama’s speech was one of unification. He spoke about working with McCain, ending the divisiveness of Washington, working together to fix the problems of the country, and working with our allies around the world to once again regain their trust. The most important part of Obama’s speech for me personally was one that, I admit, made me a bit emotional. In fact, it has made me emotional every time that I’ve heard or read it since last night. Obama spoke to me: “And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn – I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.” This quote, above all others in his entire speech convinced me that I should support Barack Obama because, even though I disagree with him vehemently on policy matters, I agree with his direction on the tone of our country and I am ecstatic that he cares about listening to people like me who disagree with him. That is the mark of a real leader.

Even though I did not vote for Barack Obama, I support him. Obama said it best: “We proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.” In that, I finally agree with Barack Obama and he has my trust to lead our nation.