Why I'm voting for Barack Obama....

To answer Janine's question about why I'm voting for Obama, There are dozens and dozens of reasons. But I'll break it down into two general reasons....

First, he is a new breed of politician. Every speech he gives always redirects back onto the voter. Citizens. The country. And our place and responsibility in the world. He always talks about the greater good, looking after one another, and living a life of hope and optimism over fear and division. He constantly says that we are all in this together and that if we unite and work together, there is nothing we can't solve. Who doesn't like a message like that from their leader? He doesn't obsess with questioning McCain's character. Obama himself has been called a socialist, a celebrity, a Muslim, a terrorist, a baby-killer, Marxist, unpatriotic, an elitist, a radical, too black, naive...you name it, he's been called it. But his demeanor and the way he deals with it all...as if he's been called the N-word too many times in his life to be bothered anymore....it just gives me great confidence in the belief that he is truly a once-in-a-lifetime type of leader. He was born to lead, in a very selfless way as evidenced by his first job out of college as a community organizer rather then a big time, big money lawyer. True enough you have to go to the previous generation's MLK and Kennedy to find another leader of such caliber. Were he white I would still be excited to vote for him based simply on his message and the tone of his campaign. But he is not. And that is what truly brings a sense of pride to my vote in a way I cannot even describe.

I can't even begin to imagine the impact he will have on young folks, especially black kids, when they see him repeatedly for the next 4-8 years addressing the nation. Proving day after day that anything is possible and anybody can be President. Giving kids hope and ambition with every press conference he gives. Showing that racism indeed can be defeated. Displaying an image that black men are not all criminals. That we can possess intellect. That we can possess responsibility. That we can be good fathers and raise a beautiful family. Having a black woman, that for all too long have been at the very bottom of the totem poll in terms of rights (behind black men and white women) now representing the most powerful nation on earth as First Lady with class, strength and elegance. And seeing the future of my daughter Isabella in the faces of his two young daughters as they play on the South Lawn of the White House. Knowing that Bella will grow up always understanding that anybody (including herself) could be anything they want to be, including President. She will never know the feeling of thinking you'd never see a black person in the White House. These images that I imagine as I wait to see if Obama is indeed the 44th President of the United States tomorrow cement my belief that he will be an extraordinary leader of this generation, this country and of the world in a way that I never could have imagined 2 years ago much less envisioned during my lifetime. And that is why I am casting my vote for Barack Obama.