Why I Voted For Obama

Hope

As last week's election approached, quite a few people asked me why I was voting for Obama. The answer: I believe passionate and energetic (and yes, naive) young people have the greatest ability to create change for the better. They don't know what they can't do - and so they strive, and more often than not, succeed.

I want to live in the America represented by our ideals - a place of freedom, responsibility and equality. I have felt for some time that our country has lost sight of those ideals and needs to find it's way back. Which takes change. Change enough to jolt us out of the place we have been for years now. What impressed me about Obama was his ability to mobilize young people to work for his campaign, care deeply about political change and vote for the first time.

I'm too jaded to believe that my efforts individually can impact the world I live in, but I remember enough of my youth to remember I used to feel differently. So my vote for Obama was a vote for the man himself but also a vote for the energy and ability of the young and for the person I used to be.

Of course, now that we are on the other side of the election, I hope we can all remember what it was like to have hope in our ability to live the promise of America, to believe we can each make a difference every day in a small way and that by coming together, make a difference in a big way.

November 2nd Obama Rally
Columbus, Ohio