Today, I signed up to help the Obama campaign for November's election. After a year plus of sitting on the sidelines and watching what happens, I stepped in today. Some people might call it jumping on the bandwagon late, but today is a beginning, not an end.
I voted for Barack Obama in my primary. He was not my first choice this election cycle. That spot belonged to Bill Richardson. Primarily because I felt his stands on foreign policy and also civil rights and equality for all Americans were admirable. He seemed to be above the partisan politics that I would like to see the American people move past. But he didn't have the organization, he didn't have the funds, and he didn't seemingly have the ability to last through the campaign.
Barack Obama was a close second for me. I admired his role as a grassroots organizer before he took office in the State Legislature. Even though his positions on the issues weren't as firm as I might have liked, he always ended up on the right side of the issues. What I admired most about Barack Obama, however, was that he has the ability to stand true with his convictions and protect the issues his consituents care about and is still able to reach out and connect with the other side of the aisle.
Foreign policy and civil rights and liberties are the most important issues that we'll be looking at as Americans. But without the ability to reach across the aisle and work with all Americans, we will find ourselves not headed in the right direction there, either.
When Richardson won, I supported Obama quietly, and hoped he would win the nomination. I did not, however, volunteer. The truth is, I didn't want to tie my hopes and dreams to one specific candidate. All of the primary candidates were more than apt to lead this country, and I would have been happy with any of the major candidates. If my guy doesn't win, I don't want to be so crushed that I couldn't keep up with the good fight when it matters.
And starting today, it matters. There's one ballot that really matters and it happens this November.
Obama is my guy. And I'm happy to help. In whatever way possible.