by Donald Hancock

Created on: November 06, 2008   Last Updated: December 02, 2008

TEN REASONS WHY I VOTED FOR BARACK OBAMA

There are many reasons why I voted for Mr. Obama. I suppose that none of them will be completely new, since every reason under the sun - no, make that broader, in the whole universe, has been covered by CNN and the others, and I am very grateful to them for that.

But I would like to put my own name on a few. So, here are ten reasons in no particular order.

1. I grew up as a white boy in the south, Savannah, Georgia, to be exact. I remember vividly the drinking fountains labeled "White Only" and "Colored". I also remember playing in the neighborhood park and seeing the other white boys chasing away a little black boy who ventured there to play. I never felt good about that. It isn't a sense of guilt, for I can honestly say that I never bought into that. But I know that one of my reasons is that, in a sense, I helped the little black boy come back to the park and drink out of the fountain of his choice. My candidate kept himself far above the issue of race. But that was my own private issue to deal with.

2. Reason two is that I believe Obama. I feel that he is an honest man. I think he believes deeply and that he is expressing, as honestly as he feels the public can understand, what he wants to do and intends to do as President.

3. I believe that many of the major problems of the United States, such as crime, poverty, and family disintegration, are related to, but not limited to, the issue of race. I believe that Obama will have insights and experience that will give him a special ability to deal effectively with these problems.

4. I honestly believe that Mrs. Obama will make a very fine First Lady. She is smart but approachable. She will make an excellent role model. I think she can rise to any occasion that she faces, publicly and privately.

5. I feel that Obama, while lacking experience, has fine skills and potential for learning very quickly what he needs to know in each situation.

6. Mr. Obama surrounds himself with talented people who can bring intelligence, experience, and integrity to the government. And he does have the ability to inspire action from both parties on important issues.

7. He has the philosophy of openness and diplomacy that is needed in order to deal with the other nations of the world in the twenty first century. I think he is quite capable of "carrying a big stick" but he sees the value of a great deal of "soft speaking" first.

8. I believe that Mr. Obama demonstrated a very stable temperament during the campaign, which in a way was a microcosm of the issues and challenges that he will face in the larger reality as president of a world power.

9. On the negative side, his opposition demonstrated most of the negative factors that I abhor during this presidential campaign.

10. Lastly, to be honest I must say, the Democratic Party holds a philosophy that appeals to my deepest sense of rightness more than does that of the Republican Party. If both candidates had been equal in every respect, I would have voted Democratic because of their more liberal stand on every issue. so there it is. Thank you for listening. I certainly needed to do that. With all of the information that has come into my brain during the last year and a half, I felt like the Dead Sea. Now I feel like a river again.

So, there it is. Thank you for listening. I really needed to express myself on that. With all of the information that has poured into my mental apparatus for the last year and a half, I have felt like the Dead Sea. Now I feel like a living river again!

Learn more about this author, Donald Hancock.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.