Full Disclosure: I am an unabashed supporter of Sen. Barack Obama. I am also a Counterintelligence Agent in the army guard, have been deployed, and was awarded two Bronze Star Medals for my service in Afghanistan. I hope that doesn't come off as a kind of chest thumping aggrandizement, but rather, merely some base-line credibility with which to address these issues.
I joined the military in November, 2001. Like many others, my response to the September the 11th attacks was to look inward and find an avenue through which I could contribute to my country [sorry Karl Rove--it wasn't to seek therapy]; to play a small role in achieving the broad ideals on which the United States was founded, but has often fallen short.
Regardless of how one views my decision to enlist in the military; I did so because I felt mobilized to serve a cause greater than my own self interests. I did so because I ardently believed that I had not contributed enough to what I felt was one of the fundamental notions of American life: creating a better future for the next generation of Americans.
Maudlin? Perhaps. Naïve? Probably. Sucker? Maybe.
Now, it makes no sense to rehash everything that led up to the vote to authorize military force in Iraq and where we find ourselves today. Suffice to say that, regardless of your views on the issue, there are a few irrefutable truths:
Thousands of dead Americans.
Hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqis.
Over a trillion dollars spent.
A lessened moral standing in the world.
A dangerously overstretched military force.
An unfinished mission in Afghanistan.
It seems almost unconscionable to make an argument for why this matters. It should be self-evident. There are many reasons why we now find ourselves in this position, although my focus will be limited to one reason.
That is, the authorization of this misguided war by Democratic Party politicians such as Hillary Clinton. I probably would be less strident if I felt that Sen. Clinton's vote for war was anything less than triangulating disingenuineness.
However, Sen. Clinton cast a vote for war because she wanted to co-opt a national security issue that she felt was favorable for Republicans. She was also concerned, rightly so, that her gender would inhibit her ability to seem "strong." I won't even broach the wisdom of first ceding this turf to the Republican Party and then fighting it out on their turf.
Sen. Clinton made a politically calculated decision to send soldiers into a quagmire because she felt that it was the most politically expedient decision available. Karl Rove and George W. Bush believed that democrats would fold in the face of patriotic pressure, and they did. The self-styled "fighter" folded in the most important fight of our generation. The result of this lack of backbone, amongst others, is an incredibly wide swath of death and destruction.
Just for this reason alone, Hillary Clinton will never receive my vote. And the thing is, if I thought that this was just a matter of bad judgment then my position would not be so absolute. But I challenge the supporters of Sen. Clinton, do you really believe
that she thought this was a wise course of action. And if you don't, how can you honestly give Sen. Clinton your support?
It seems to me that the notion of America has always existed somewhere in the disconnect between its ideals and its reality. And there are distinct times in our history in which it is paramount to push for the hope of America rather than settling for its sometimes stark reality.
I support Barack Obama because he offers a unique message of hope, reconciliation, and dynamism that transcends traditional party lines; I support Barack Obama because he extols the virtues of finding commonality, whenever possible, rather than reveling in tearing others down; and, I support Barack Obama because of his dynamic ability to push through a progressive political agenda.
Are these fuzzy, amorphous concepts? Sure they are. However, it doesn’t make them any less tangible than Sen. Clinton’s itemized recitations of the government programs she’ll deliver if elected president.
I feel the same way about the Obama campaign as I did when I joined the military. It’s a campaign that actually calls on me to question what my role is in the process, encourages me to participate, and energizes me to be involved. I feel galvanized to be a broad part of a larger, more important ideal. And, frankly, it makes me feel good about myself.
I would argue that the energy being created by the Obama campaign is infinitely more important than small policy differences between Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama on health care. When citizens are motivated to participate, and feel good about their government, they end up with a more responsive, streamlined, and transparent government.
Vote. Participate. Donate.