Okay, 'murica, let's get out and vote today! If you are privileged enough to live in a state {rather than the darn District of Columbia, where my vote for the presidential election doesn't count}, GO VOTE, especially if you live in a battleground state!!!
I do not expect to sway your vote if you have not yet voted, and it is very likely that no amount of Facebook posts and political TV ads will change your mind at this point, but let me tell you a little bit about why I voted Obama:
Before this election, I think it is safe to say that I was pretty apolitical. I had absolutely no interest in politics. The combination of living in the nation's capital, where it is impossible to escape the political fervor, and continually learning more about what it means to be a woman in the 21st century have really helped shape the way I think about our government, and, as you have seen in past political posts, I can get pretty rabid about my beliefs.
I am the first to admit that Obama could have done better over the past four years, especially in regards to economic recovery. I think that there really is something to what the Republicans are advocating, a strategy of fiscal responsibility. I think that we need to be fiscally responsible as individuals, but also as a nation, so it would be a lot easier for Americans to stop living beyond our means if the government were setting that example for us. I am not convinced that Obama has the best plan for cutting the deficit, and, however poorly-articulated Romney's plan is, I think that Republicans generally have the right idea in wanting to balance the budget and make this country more fiscally responsible.
However, I do not agree, in any way, shape or form, with the overarching social policies of the Republican Party. I do not condone the way Joe Biden behaved during the Vice Presidential debate a few weeks ago, but one thing he said really made me think that the Dems get it: when asked about his personal stance on abortion, he said something to the effect that he accepts the teachings of the Catholic Church and, in his personal life, is pro-life. At the same time, he understands that he does not have the right to push that viewpoint on the general population. Amen, Joe. You may be slightly insane and poor Barack probably has nightmares about the many gaffes that you make, but darn it, you had a point. The government should not have the right to push the personal social beliefs of a few onto the populace. The end. That goes for same-sex marriage as well. It makes my blood boil that Republicans try to push their bigoted, backward social views on the general population. In all seriousness, I refuse to side with a party whose archaic views on women, immigrants and same-sex couples are so blatantly intolerant and off-the-mark. Frankly, to so many Republicans, if you are not a heterosexual white male with a college education, you are not worth representing (Mittens himself alluded to this in his 47% speech).
So, when I voted this morning, I thought of all of the rights that, as a woman, I would like to see preserved. I thought of same-sex couples who would like the right to marry in states where it is not currently allowed, and would like to retain that right in states where it is. I thought of the children of illegal immigrants who would like the chance to study in the United States and build lives for themselves here. I thought of active-duty service members, too many of whom make the ultimate sacrifice, who should be a top consideration when determining whether or not to enter into an armed conflict. As a DC resident, my vote may not count, but today, I proudly voted Dem!
In other news, today would have been my Pop Pop's 103rd birthday. Even though I was still relatively young when he passed away, I still think of him, and the incredible man that he was, very often. Happy Birthday Pop Pop, and, in honor of your birthday, may the best man win!
