by Rebecca Bauer

Created on: November 07, 2008   Last Updated: January 21, 2009

Although I proudly placed a Barack Obama sign in my front yard in autumn, I'll let you in on a little secret: I almost voted for Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary earlier in the year. I remained undecided until the eleventh hour (literally) as I suddenly found my courage, as well as my winter coat, and rushed to my polling station an hour before closing. Like so many others, this was the first time I voted in a presidential primary, and I believe it will remain my proudest act as an American citizen. Ignoring the myriad calls warning of his inexperience, here are ten reasons why I voted for Barack Obama in both the primary and general elections.

1. HUMBLE ROOTS. Barack, as well as his wife Michelle, come from working-class backgrounds, giving them special insight when thinking about how their decisions will affect the average family.

2. SYMBOLIC CHANGE. Finally electing a non-white president proves that America is willing to put her money where her mouth is, so to speak, and that the Constitution is not mere lip service when it states that "we take these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal."

3. INTELLIGENCE AND JUDGMENT. I group these characteristics together because it is possible to have one without the other, and having both in high quantities gives Obama a crucial advantage in terms of decision-making.

4. TEMPERAMENT. He was nearly unflappable during the course of the campaign, never becoming easily excited or upset when accused of "hating America" like Reverend Wright or "palling around with terrorists" like William Ayers.

5. HONESTY. All politicians pander to a certain extent, but I respected his forthright answers to questions that are historically carefully-crafted avoidances. One good example: "Of course, I inhaled. That was the point."

6. CHARISMA. Barack Obama will represent the United States of America well to the rest of the world instead of embarrassing us like President Bush. This may seem like a shallow reason to vote for a candidate, but his talents will be most useful in repairing our national reputation.

7. CITIZEN OF THE WORLD. Obama has lived in and has close family ties to other countries, which gives him a heightened understanding of how to deal with the customs of foreign nations.

8. SUPREME COURT APPOINTMENTS. As a former professor of constitutional law at the University of Chicago, Obama is arguably an expert in the unique nature of the Supreme Court, which is now in a dangerously delicate balance.

9. EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH. Long-stymied by the religious right, Obama will undo the shackles on our medical community to conduct research in the way deemed best by science, not politics. This will create American jobs in a globally competitive field, as well as possibly cure a plethora of diseases including diabetes, cancer, and Parkinson's, just to name a few.

10. HEALTH CARE REFORM. Again, he also knows this issue from personal experience since he watched his own mother battle with her insurance company while dying from ovarian cancer. Obama believes that health care is a fundamental human right, but his pragmatic nature warns him not to push for universal health care - not yet. His first "baby step" in reform will be to make sure all children have health coverage, a proposal that only the most hardened of heart could argue against.

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