I am generally not one for political speeches, but as the 2008 Election approaches, I have been reflecting upon the importance of this election that awaits us. I apologize if this comes off as a stream of consciousness diary, but it largely is. Thank you in advance for reading.
This election is for my mom who has a second job as a waitress to help pay for her sons' college education. A mother who has survived four company layoffs, who has dedicated her life to the betterment of her children, who was one of the 9,000 supporters who attended Obama's rally in Chester, PA in the midst of a downpour. This election is for her.
This election is for my dad, who, as a career truck driver, has celebrated blue collar roots and helped instill a sense of civil responsibility and fairness to others in the world. A father who has understood that all should have a chance at opportunity. A father who, despite being a "white, working-class voter" has a political intellect that allows him to see the bigger picture. A father who is spending $250 of his own money to fly from Florida to our home state of New Jersey to cast his ballot for Barack Obama because his absentee ballot application got messed up.
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This election is for my maternal grandparents who worked so hard to leave their children and grandchildren with a future. Whose lifelong investments have seen significant declines because of the harsh economic times we face. This election is for them.
This election is for my paternal grandparents who also worked hard to offer a better life to their children and grandchildren. This election is for my grandfather in Florida who is facing the hard economic times with resilience and help from his son, my dad.
This election is for my uncles, who love each other dearly but are unable to enjoy married life because they are gay. This election is about defeating the hateful California Proposition 8 so equal marriage rights blossom throughout our country.
This election is for my brother who as an undergraduate senior and President of his campus's student government has argued against slashing higher education funds in front of New Jersey state legislators on behalf of his fellow classmates.
This election is for my cousin who, as a Marine, served three tours of duty in Iraq and is now starting a new life as a newlywed in the East Bay area. He has valiantly served his country, and this election is about honoring his service and the service of all Veterans and current servicemen and servicewomen.
This election is for Howard Dean, who, through his 50 State Strategy, has opened up our country to truly progressive ideas, and has made progressive candidates viable in areas no one ever imagined.
This election is for Hillary Clinton, who, despite a hard fought Presidential campaign of her own, has honorably campaigned on behalf of Barack Obama where it will matter the most.
This election is for Bill Clinton, who has joined the ranks of all-out supporters of Obama, and will certainly have a strong impact on voters in key states like Florida.
This election is for Debbie Wasserman Schultz who has become one of Obama's strongest surrogates once it became clear that he would win the Democratic nomination.
This election is for Darcy Burner, Dennis Shulman, Jim Martin, Scott Kleeb, Mark Begich, Gary Trauner, Judy Baker, Charlie Brown, Joe Garcia, Al Franken, Dan Seals, Eric Massa, Annette Taddeo, Rick Noriega, Jim Himes, Dan Maffei, Andrew Rice, Mark Udall, Tom Udall, Jeff Merkley, Jeanne Shaheen, Kay Hagen, Bruce Lunsford, Ronnie Musgrove, Mark Warner, and all other Democratic candidates running on behalf of the American people for the change we need.
This election is for Jill Biden, who, as an educator, has contributed, and still contributes, to the successes of America's future. This election is for true education reform so that all may have the same opportunity to succeed.
This election is for Joe Biden, who has fought long and hard for those who needed it most. A Senator who has not forgotten his middle-class roots, who is so dedicated to his family that he still commutes between D.C. and his home in Delaware nightly to spend time with his family. This election is for the next Vice President of the United States.
This election is for Michelle Obama, a beautiful mother who will be a wonderful First Lady. A woman who has been the self-described "rock" in Barack's life. This election is for women's rights crossing all spectrums.
This election is for Barack Obama, a man words cannot accurately describe, a man for whom words are not needed. His love of his country is as evident as his love for his beautiful family. This election is for the next President of the United States.
This election is for the United States of America.
This election is for all of us.