why i am voting for change

it's been a long while since i last wrote. and yes, wedding planning is going surprisingly well. dodger has been amazing at being a true partner in the process and it's nowhere as stressful or crazy as some people have made it out to be. lucky us. keep fingers crossed that it stays that way.

but the real reason i'm writing tonight, is because, since it is the night before the primary elections, i felt compelled to express why i am voting for obama.

i know their stance on issues is almost the same. that either of them in office is a first for minority peoples. for me the true difference comes down to their approach to politics. and the closest analogy i can draw is one that is close to the heart.

when the district i am working at hit a bottom about four years ago, there were a lot of approaches that could have been taken to help fix the system, governance, leadership. in fact, within the system, there were a lot of different approaches going on a the same time - not sure which was working the best. now, four years later, we have seen three leaders try their hand at change, improvement, reform. whatever you want to call the efforts.

there was the approach of trying to take a tough stance, make/dictate decisions using authoritative power, without much community building or listening, some basic freedoms taken away, deciding what was best for us while not always revealing all the facts. (sound familiar. maybe a bush?) then there was the slow and steady approach. work within the bureaucracy and the system. don't rock the boat, just make the boat work better. an executive but not a visionary. (hillary maybe?).

and now, while not quite the same as obama, we have a leader who is not afraid of change. someone who comes off as the everyday man and can relate to everyone from the mayor to the janitor in our building. he has a sense of humor, is human, can inspire. and he's invested in change, not governance. he's not in it for his own glory but to help the ones who need it the most, our children. And i'm seeing the difference in our results. and importantly, i feel it in the system. people are inspired and excited. there is a belief in the work again.

at any rate, i feel like i'm living and experiencing what i see obama could be for this country. i am not in the mindset of the heavy-handed approach. taking away my civil liberties? no privacy in the name of a war on terrorism? no thanks. i'm also less in the slow and steady camp of governance and policy making because so many before have tried that and haven't give us the change that we need in a time like now. we need a rejuvenation. at least a leader who is walking into office believing in change, rather than one who has given up on that idea before they even step through the door (i am optimistic here as i acknowledge that things maybe harder once he enters office, but that's a risk i'm willing to take). and he's a believer in community organizing and inspiring civic duty, which i'm a fan of.

anyway, that's my rant. see you at the polls tomorrow!