2008 Presidential Endorsement

I grew up in a Democratic Party household. Nixon cemented my tie to the party of Roosevelt. It was not until I owned my own business and had to deal with a government that cared more for itself than the people it served that I became a Republican. I thought that the tax system was built to soak anyone who was willing to work hard and the welfare system existed to support those who did no want to work. What a backward country. I became a Reagan Republican; extolling the virtues of less government and low taxes. I truly believed that free enterprise capitalism would lift our economy and all people would benefit. I never signed on for trickle down, but will admit I thought the wealth might trickle “around”.

Thirty years later; the economy did boom, but it left behind 90 % of the people of this country. We now have more billionaires than ever before, but the average factory worker is making less money. We have one of the lowest performing healthcare systems in the world. Our nation lives on foreign oil and this addiction directs our foreign policy. Our ability to compete in an ever-growing small world is being compromised by our failure to educate our people. We have built a government that thrives on special interest money. The Bush cadre has put us in a war that is sucking our country dry. Our position in the world has never been lower in my lifetime. We need a change.

I like John McCain, but he is supported by and supports the fundamental tenets that have gotten us in this mess. I cannot trust a Republican running this country for the next four years.

I don’t trust slick ambulance chasers so that leaves out Edwards. Hillary’s experience as the spouse of a President does not count in my book as experience for the job. I think both Clinton and Edwards are the old Democratic Party. There is only one candidate who I think can unify the country and get the right people around him to get us on the right track; that is Barack Obama.

A review of Obama’s views show that he is not dragged down by traditional party politics. Barack opposed the war in Iraq when leaders in his own party supported it. He understands the need for a simple but fair tax system. Obama supports leaving no child behind; but understands that the program needs money and not just talk. He looks to solutions, not party politics.

Barack Obama has that special quality that can cause people to aspire to the best, cause us to aspire to real solutions, and for all of us aspire to greatness for our nation. During the debates, he seems to be the only candidate that searches for answers in the realm of truth rather than answers in the realm of politics. Obama inspires me to trust in government rather than be skeptical of it.

Barack Obama gets my vote for president!