What did you call me? A progressive?! I’m not sure if I’m offended or pleased…
America’s two political parties have, in a sense, switched places. The party formerly known as conservative is now the party interested in pushing new frontiers and reshaping the world, reshaping old business models, and getting involved heavily in global affairs. Yes, you heard me. The republican party can now proudly be called the party of progressives.
Take for example, outsourcing of customer support call centers to other countries. The republican party is in favor of allowing American companies to take jobs overseas; using the capabilities of global telecommunications, companies can outsource call centers and throw a big wrench into old business models that were limited by long-distance telecommunications costs. The democratic party is interested in protecting American jobs and keeping companies from fully taking advantage of the capabilities of new technologies.
Obviously, the republican party is also greatly interested in playing a large role in international events – being involved in conflicts that don’t involve America necessarily. Now the democrats could be considered the isolationists: wanting to decrease the size of the military, keeping focus on domestic concerns, letting other countries duke it out, so to speak.
In defense, climate change is a big deal, and the more we can do to improve our ability to move forward into the twenty first century with our green foot forward, the better. Additionally, we will need some time to fix all the things that have been neglected for the last 7 years. Namely, Americans.
Really, there is a lot to be said for both sides, but it can’t be denied how labels can change right from under our noses.
According to the demographics, I should be voting for Hillary Clinton: I’m a white, 60-year-old, highly educated woman from the Northeast. But I’m voting for Obama. I’ve waited all my life for a viable woman candidate for the presidency, but this is not the right woman. I want a woman of the highest ability and virtue, who would serve as a glorious role model to all young women. Hillary Clinton is not that woman.
She rode into power with her husband, and together they’ve acquired a long and seriously flawed history of self-serving and secretive financial and political dealings. The most cursory research will prove that true. She started out her political life supporting the racist Barry Goldwater. She is as comfortable with deception and trickery as George Bush. When I hear woman saying, “Oh, but that’s how you get things done in Washington,” I literally cringe.
I am passionately supporting Barack Obama. He can beat the Republicans; she cannot. Obama has attracted Independents and even Republicans to his camp, and in a general election they would vote for him, but not for Clinton. Clinton voted for the war, and has never apologized for it. Obama has spoken out against it from the beginning. Obama brings us hope–and not just that. Take a serious look at his ideas and experience.
Please, I beg of you, Sisters young and old: wait for the right woman. Then we can be proud.
Diane Wald