Why I've Decided to Support Barack Obama

Dear Arianna,

On March 15 of 2007, I wrote you a letter at your request based on our discussions about what qualities I think our next President should have. At that time, I told you that it was still too early in the race and that I still had a number of questions and that therefore it would take me some time to really look at the field and make up my mind. As you know, I have a number of people whom I consider friends in the race and I certainly didn't want to be disrespectful to any of them.

I also told you that I am only one vote and that I doubted that anybody really cared. Quite frankly, I was surprised at the reaction to my article that you published on the Huffington Post

In that article, I enumerated a number of criteria upon which I would make my decision as to what candidate I would support in the presidential elections. I wrote that while I have a number of personal reasons to support my friends, I would come to a conclusion after listening carefully to all the various parties, and that only then would I present my thoughts to you. I wrote that I would arrive at a decision that, while still bearing some emotional taint, would best represent my thoughts on who should be President.

My first criterion is trust. Trust is the basis of every relationship and clearly, the American people s trust and faith in our government have been eroded by the past seven years of the Bush/Cheney administration. There has been a distinct lack of independent thinking in the Judicial, Executive and Legislative branches of our government. I know about compromises, but some of this has gone beyond compromise.

Politics has become an ugly game. During the Clinton administration, America's image was that of a strong, confident and kind world leader. Today, that image has been deeply soiled both in the eyes of the world at large, and in those of our own citizens.

Since then, I have been looking for a leader who, above all, will lead by example and who is above politics and special interests. I have been looking for a leader who is smart enough to align him or herself with the majority of Americans, but willing to side with the minority if he or she believes that this is right for the future of our nation. I have been looking for a leader who is willing to compromise to get things done but does not let the polls decide the nature or strength of his or her beliefs. I have been looking for a leader that will practice the politics of inclusion and will help solve the many challenges that are facing us today and will best represent the next generation, who, after all, have everything at stake.

I have listened to the arguments that neither a woman nor a minority could get elected in this country. I have even heard the argument that some will not vote for such a person because they think others will not vote for them. These assertions I find to be ridiculous. If everybody thought that way, nobody would vote his or her conscience. The herd would decide. In my mind, American people are far too intelligent to decline to vote for a deserving candidate because of that candidate s gender, race or religion. Incidentally, I find the argument made against Mitt Romney, based on his religion, to be just as silly and unfair.

I am a legal immigrant whose parents went from Russia to China to Chile to finally reach the United States and thereby give me a chance to have a better life. I served six years in the US Army Reserve, went to college, have a successful career and have dedicated my life to being a good citizen. I have lived the American dream and that is the dream I want for our children and all children everywhere. I see that we are facing economic challenges and that the way in which we meet these challenges will have an immense impact on all the other trials we must face. It is not only about cutting taxes, it s about balancing our budget and living within our means. We cannot be a shopping mall for the rest of the world.

We cannot hope to improve our environment without making sacrifices. Our parents made sacrifices during World War II and the war in Vietnam. We owe them a willingness to do the same, especially when it comes to health care and social security. We need to provide for our children an educational system that is better than anywhere else in the world. We owe the less advantaged, the elderly and the sick the best of our efforts. We face a nuclear threat and the threat of terrorism. I believe it was Einstein who said that he did not know all the weapons that would be used in World War III, but he believed that World War IV would be fought with sticks and stones.

We have to live by what we preach. We are all God's children and I think it is naïve to think that one person could solve all of these problems. It is really up to all of us to shake off the politics of division and demand a change. We need more than 47% of the people to show up to the polls representing the other 53%. We live in a shrunken world in which everyone sees what everyone else is doing, as though we re all living in a glass house. The fact that this glass is breakable forces us to ask ourselves serious questions about the nature of humanity. We have all been sold a bill of goods, packed with lies and corruption, that highlights the differences between all of us. The future of our country and our world depends on our ability to start highlighting the similarities, the common ground upon which we can all stand. We need to be a part of the Global Community, not a self-proclaimed brothers keeper.

It is for all of these reasons that my vote will go to Barack Obama. His policy proposals are very close to those of his Democratic rivals with a few exceptions. He has flaws like all of us. Politics, however, like much else in life, is all about timing. That s what matters. It is about the face that represents our choice of leadership. That is why I supported John F. Kennedy, Gary Hart and Bill Clinton. They were the right candidates for their time. Senator Obama's journey is not unlike my own, though I am white, Jewish and have red hair. His face, in my view, best represents America an America that's willing to change. And yes, he's strong enough to take on military challenges.

Many people criticize Senator Obama based upon their perception that he's lacking in experience. In my view, it certainly seems that few people could hope to have as much experience as Vice President Cheney. It is less a matter of experience than one of judgment, I believe. There are a great many people around the world who believe that America has lost its moral compass. I believe that Senator Obama is the right choice to lead the next generation of Americans out of what appears to me to be a position of great peril. We need a leader who will follow his conscience at the helm of a nation of citizens who are not afraid to vote theirs. There are those in this world who will hate us no matter what we do, but following the compass of our consciences, we will have behind us the moral and legal justifications for our actions -- actions that for the first time in too long we can support together as a nation. America can once again lead the way to hope and human dignity for all.

In my view, the Obama Candidacy is about more than just an end to the war abroad. I'm not suggesting an immediate withdrawal of our troops from foreign soil. It is about an end to the war in America -- a cultural and religious war that eats at our nation's soul. Repairing America's image to the world is going to be one of the major challenges that this country will be facing. We are all immigrants, or the children of immigrants, who have come to this land looking for the American Dream. I believe that as the next President of the United States, Barack Obama can make this dream a reality.

Perhaps this will convince no one. But, now you have my opinion.

Warmest Regards,

Mike Medavoy

Comments

[navalvet]

There are things worth compromising but there are others which are too important for compromise. I have no certainy what are the core policies, not just core ideals, of Senator Obama. Bringing us all together, when we have no deep divisions is easy; bringing us together on issues which deeply divide us is a chimera.
I too am looking for transformation and change from the current situation, I simply do not believe that Senator Obama is capable of accomplishing such a transformation.

[campaignman]

Frankly, living in Virginia, I hope the media is simply unable to make that call on the 5th because we vote on the 12th, along with DC and Maryland. Moreover, our three jurisdictions are most representative of the party as a whole and would be the most appropriate states to decide the issue.

Well, in any case, that's how I view the story if Obama loses to Clinton in Iowa. Of course, if he wins, Hillary will be desperate to finish a close second in NH so she can claim the title of Comeback Girl and try to win even though she lost. Barack would be able to thwart that by claiming to be the '08 Comeback Kid first based on the ARG poll, but I'm not sure he'll take that tack.

[campaignman]

Barack Obama is clearly the superior candidate in this race and what he lacks in experience he makes up in intelligence, judgment, charisma and courage.

Yes, it was courageous to come out against the war in Iraq while campaigning for the US Senate in 2003 when the majority of voters supported the war.

It is easy to forget that there was a time when nearly everyone favored the war.

If, due to organizing and/or fear on the part of Iowa voters who want change but are afraid to demand it, Obama loses to Hillary or Edwards, I am confident that independents will come to his aid in NH and, with a victory there, he will be positioned to win in South Carolina.

In essence, that would likely leave Hillary with wins in Iowa and Nevada and Obama with wins in NH and SC. That split will be viewed as a neck and neck horse race to be decided, if possible, on February 5 when 22 states vote. NY will be off the table as Hillary's new home state so California will be considered the big enchilada.

While there is no certainty of a decision on the 5th, the media will want to call it and give the nomination to one or the other - even as, in their heart of hearts, they would like to see the battle go all the way to the convention.

It's a conflicting emotion for the media since they would be short-changing themselves of a longer story to call it on the 5th but everyone wants to be the FIRST to judge the battle over whether the voters want it that way or not.

[tbone99]

"American people are far too intelligent to decline to vote for a deserving candidate because of that candidate s gender, race or religion."
Then how did we get George Bush TWICE?
As an immigrant I think perhaps you don't yet understand the scope and sublteties of racism in America. But you will definitely see it if Obama gets the nomination, sadly enought.The wolves are holding back, crossing their fingers that he or Hilary get the nomination and then you will see a feeding frenzy.Not to insult wolves by comparing them to Repuglicans.
We need someone who can be a crossover candidate
- Edwards , Biden or Dodd.Edwards is my pick because he's a southern male with all the nuances that implies, for appealing to white male voters, who like it or not will be the make it or break it by their very majority.But thats just the package- he's talking to all Americans who are being done in by the new corporatism, who are on the losing end of the top 1% tax cuts and who have lost their homes to foreclosure Katrina, and job downsizing.And thats a LOT of people

[demockracy]

Obama and Hillary are both versions of Republican lite -- although Hillary is really the worst of the two. Spend more money on our military than the rest of the world combined? (We do) Obama's solution: adding more troops to the military than Giuliani proposes!

Health care? Obama trundles out the Republican talking points. See Paul Krugman's columns in the NY Times for the entire story. Essentially, making health insurance non-mandatory (Obama's position) permits the same kind of insure-onl­y-the-heal­thy gaming that brought us to our present situation.

That situation? Paying twice what even the most expensive single-payer system costs with far worse outcomes in life expectancy, infant mortality, etc.

Frankly, I'm surprised that the vague appeal of "trust" and "character" cited by pundits like Medavoy have the slightest traction. It's as relevant as focusing on Hillary's cleavage.

On the issues, only Kucinich needs to make no apologies. Obama is more of the same, piled higher and deeper.

[lovethesinner]

Real change comes from within. It takes courage, and an open mind.

America can remake itself by choosing it's next President with an eye to the possible, but not with the fear of the enevitable.

It is the vision we seek, not the experience we know that will shape our destiny moving forward.

The biggest problem for America in a Hillary candidacy is it's lack of a lack of certainty. There is no room to grow. We will be chosing not a vision of the future but, at best, a selective re-creation of our past.

Bill Clinton was right to say that voting for Obama was a "roll of the dice." But, the conclusion he drew from it was wrong. Obviously, when nothing is risked, nothing is lost...

But, neither is anything gained.

America can choose to be the country it wants to be, and in the act of that choosing, the change can be accomplished. But, only by rejecting it's fear of the unknown, and looking forward to the possibility of change.

Life is change.

Choose life.

Obama in '08

[a4audi08]

Edwards/Obama or Obama/Edwards would be light years ahead of another Clinton presidency.

ARG polls cannot be trusted according to this analysis. ARG had Bush winning NH in 2000, only to see McCain win by almost 20 points! They also had Dole winning NH in 1996 by 7 points, only to see Buchanan win.


http://ajacksonian.blogspot.com/2007/12/problem-with-american-research-group.html

[zblog]

'Me, me, me, Obama, me, me me...' After reading your mini-autobiography it sounds more like an endorsement of yourself than your candidate. Perhaps the reason no one takes you seriously is because you take yourself so seriously. Just count up the 'I's and 'me's. It's all about you, isn't it? We know more about you than we want to and less about Obama than we need to.

[kellygrrrl]

you sort of hinted at the gnawing feeling in my stomach:

maybe "experience" is a weakness, not a strength --

it seems we are talking about "experience" in the most corrupt organization of all time.

[recoveringrepublican]

Michael,

I am truly impressed by your article. You show that you are a man who thinks about the common good. You are right that Obama is uniquely situated to heal the divisions in this country.

[Bluesman48]

An excellent post, Mike.

Not sure where all you Obama haters are coming from, but I sure wish you'd go back.

[Steamboater]

"The Obama Candidacy is about more than just an end to the war abroad."
What's Medavoy smoking or didn;'t he hear Obama say that he wouldn't commit to having all the troops home by even 2013. Maybe leaving a residual force in Iraq is Medavoy's idea of an end to the war. LMAO

[gclum]

Frankly, I don’t care if the nominee is Hillary or Obama. Either would do better for American than our current administration. I would say one thing in favor of the prez. He knows how to stick a landing. I mean look at him. His poll numbers are down in the low 30’s and his own party is ignoring him in their candidates run for President. But he at least has a backbone. He said no to the expanded s-chip program twice and it appears that he won again. He said no to an early withdrawal date and it looks like he will win that argument as well. Why? Because he has backbone. Like it or not he is a person who believes in what he is doing and will do what he thinks is right no matter what.
I just wish the leaders in the Democratic party would learn a lesson from him. I would rather see no healthcare for a time than to give up on healthcare. I would rather see no funding for military spending than to keep giving up year after year. You have to ask yourself who will be the person who sticks to their guns once elected. It’s all fine and dandy to work together to bring about change but that only works if all parties would agree on the change. As Bush has showed us, there is another way.
I know I'm voting democrat in our next election, I only hope the early states will chose the right person for me to vote for.

[Imhotep]

Obama is the real deal. It's time to put an end to the bush/Clinton gang. Peace

[hopeless277]

The Republicans have made sure that the next president, just like the current congress, can do nothing. The Democratic leadership is either so cowardly or so in it up to their necks that they are basically impotent. As long as conservatives have a lock on talk radio and TV pundits, they will prevail. My prediction for the new year is an attack on Iran, martial law, and 'postponement' of the elections coupled with Blackwater patrolling American cities(with immunity from US law) and a breakdown of infrastructure facilitated by conservative operatives(ala phone jamming). All this is a well thought out plan and with no resistance from Democratic leadership, it will go off without a hitch. Long live our lord and savior, George W. Bush.