So I am admittedly not the most political of all of my friends. I know what I believe. I know that I'm for gay marriage and against the war in Iraq. I'm pretty much a liberal, though a rather quiet one. I also have no real problems with people holding different beliefs. I mean, sure, I want for the country to run with my ideas in mind, but I understand that people have different views and opinions, because we all have different backgrounds, different faiths, different ideas. Until somebody spits at me because of what I believe, or at least severely pisses me off with their "holier than thou" attitude (I can think of one person in mind, sure), I have no reason to dislike somebody just because they hold one set of beliefs and I another. If we can't run the country based on my beliefs, then we can at least create compromises.
But moving on. I also know who I'm going to vote for (I can vote this year! I can vote this year!) come primaries, even though it took me awhile to finally make up my mind. Yes, my mind tends to boggle when I overwhelm it with news and views from every single candidate. There are just so many of them right now.
I did do some of my homework. I did fish around, check out stories about the candidates, read different websites concerning their views, watch videos on YouTube. I know that there will not be a candidate who agrees with me on every single thing — I don't expect it, so I look for a candidate who believes in most of the things I believe. In fact, if such a candidate even existed — one who held every single one of my views — who knows if I'd even really like the candidate who did agree with me on every single little thing. Because even if I like the words they speak, the views they hold, to me it's also about attitude. The president should be somebody that I want to listen to, somebody whose attitude and personality I like.
For awhile, I was an Obama girl, until I realized that I was kind of just jumping on the Obama bandwagon. Sure he's popular, sure he holds a lot of the same views that I hold. But the more I though it over, the more I realize that something about Obama just didn't click with me. And it's that click-factor that I need. The click tells me so many things: clothes to buy, topics to write about, colleges to apply to, books to read. Be it a little or small decision, I need the click-factor, or else I feel lost, unsure, skeptical. So I began looking around again, actually doing my homework instead of copying off of others. (Although I do admit that I mostly researched the candidates who had better chances of winning the primaries — yes, some of the smaller candidates I might agree with more, might even like more, but I also have to keep in mind who I could be voting for come November.)
I'm excited to say that I will be voting for John Edwards in May. Yeah! John Edwards! Now true, by the time May rolls around, my vote won't really mean that much when it comes to the big picture, as the country will know pretty much who the Democratic candidate will be — Kentucky's say isn't really that huge when it comes to the primaries, ours being so late and all. But it still excites me that I get to take part in the whole voting process! It amuses me how I haven't even bothered getting my drivers' license yet, the usual "rite of passage" for a teenager, yet I'm so so so stoked to vote. Ah. I love it.
Now why John Edwards? No, he may not be in line with every single one of my opinions (for instance, he's not for same-sex marriage — although he's for civil unions), but I agree with him on most things. To be perfectly honest? I love hearing him speak. I love how passionate he gets when speaking about poverty, working-class America. When he did the forum with Myspace on MTV, I was genuinely excited when he explained his "College for Everyone" idea (and honestly, how amazing is that idea?). I get that click-factor with John Edwards. I didn't know that a candidate could excite me, could make me even more eager to vote. He truly seems to understand the majority of the people in this country, and he doesn't talk down to them, either. He tells us how it is, and every single word gets into my skin and makes me want more. This is what a candidate should do. This is what the president should do. A candidate, and the president, should make me believe in the government, in my country.
To stray from candidates and into voting and such in general: One thing that I think is wrong with America is that people don't believe that their vote counts, or that candidates care about them. A string of bad things happen, and they lose faith in the country, they bad-mouth it and criticize everything. Well, I wish they would stop criticizing and start fighting for what they want to happen. You can't sit back and complain. You have to stand up and complain. Yell and complain. Write and complain. Vote and complain. Get the attention of people who have power. Once you do that, once you make others listen, then you realize that you, too, can have power. And if you don't like the people in power, then you vote against them, or hell, even run against them yourself. If you're going to complain, sing those complaints loud and proud. How else are people going to listen to you?
And I think that people need to realize that sure, there will most likely not be a candidate who is in line with everything they believe in, and sure, many people in this country have many different opinions. But instead of fighting against those who disagree with you, why not band together and create a country that works for and not against itself? This is what I believe in above all else. I want to live in a place where I can sit in a room full of people with different ideas, and not feel like anyone could be attacked. I want to feel safe.
Oh. And because Amy G mentioned it: Oprah+Obama. I've discussed this with my counselor before. But does Oprah scare the crap out of anybody? I raise my hand high. Something about her just irks me. Haha. Just had to get that out there.
Okay. I should really get to bed now. I got a little carried away with writing this! Who knew I had so much I wanted to say?
And maybe I'll post again about all or more of this. Maybe I won't. But I kind of feel good knowing that this — my opinion — is out there for all the world to read.