A friend emailed this to me...I do not know who kentuckyscott is...but it is a worthy post on some sort of forum....no matter who wins....it's just the thoughts of a regular man....and I thought I would pass it on....




I Didn't Vote For Obama
by kentuckyscott

Mon Oct 20, 2008 at 01:24:08 PM PDT
I'm a middle-class white guy living in Jacksonville, Florida. I've got a wife and two kids. Because the kids had no school today, I took a vacation day from work, and took the kids downtown to vote early. Fifty-nine minutes later, two smiling children and I proudly sported "I Voted" stickers.
But I didn't vote for Obama.

kentuckyscott's diary :: ::

I voted for my ancestors, who believed in the promise of this country and came with with nothing as immigrants.

I voted for my parents, who taught in the public schools for decades.
I voted for Steve, an acquaintance of mine from Kentucky. (Killed by an IED two years ago in Iraq).

I voted for Shawn, another who's been to Iraq twice, and Afghanistan once, and who'll be going back to Afghanistan again soon -- and whose family earned eleven bucks a month too much to qualify for food stamps when the war started.

I voted for April, the only African-American girl in my high school -- it was years before it occurred to me how different her experience of our school must have been.

I voted for my college friends who are Christian, Jewish, Mormon, and yes -- Muslim.

I voted for my grandfathers, who worked hard in factories and died too young.

I voted for the plumber who worked on my house, because I want him to get a REAL tax break.

I voted for four little angels from Birmingham.

I voted for a bunch of dead white men who, although personally flawed, were willing to pledge their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor, and used a time of great crisis to expand freedom rather than suspend it.

I voted for all those people and more, and I voted for all of you, too. But mostly, I voted selfishly.

I vote for two little kids, one who has ballet in an hour, and one who has baseball practice at the same time and I voted for the other parents who have to be all places all the time..

I voted for a world where they can be confident that their government will represent the best that is in this country, and that will in turn demand the best of them. I voted for a government that will be respected in the world. I voted for an economy that will reward work above guile.

I voted for everything I believe in.

Sure, I filled in the circle next to the name Obama, but it wasn't him I was voting for -- it was every single one of us, and those I love most of all.

Who else is there to vote for?

Let us hope that he lives up to kentuckyscott's and all our expectations.

Sam

That was nice, very very nice Sam.

I agree....it is a long road he has to walk down...a long road we will walk down with him....I am glad you like it.

Sam you are very insightful and astute.

That's a great letter! And I believe that President-elect Obama addressed that in his stunning speech, when he said "I didn't win tonight, you did." I completely agree.

Originally Posted by chelsea24

That's a great letter! And I believe that President-elect Obama addressed that in his stunning speech, when he said "I didn't win tonight, you did." I completely agree.

I agree, Obama gave a very gracious speech. The 1,000's of people that were in Grant Park, showed that it wasnt just about race either.

Great post Cassie. Yes, his speech was a unifying one. He also sent out a wonderful email to all volunteers: Dear (personalized name), I'm about to head to Grant Park to talk to everyone gathered there, but I wanted to write to you first.

We just made history.

And I don't want you to forget how we did it.

You made history every single day during this campaign -- every day you knocked on doors, made a donation, or talked to your family, friends, and neighbors about why you believe it's time for change.

I want to thank all of you who gave your time, talent, and passion to this campaign.

We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track, and I'll be in touch soon about what comes next.

But I want to be very clear about one thing...

All of this happened because of you.

Thank you,

Barack

the real measure of any man will be of what he has talked how much has he delivered.
One year from today we will know considerably more about BHO.

BTK

In all fairness, BTK, I think it's going to take President Obama more than one year to dig us out of the quagmire he's walking into. Wow, it took 8 years to get us here. And you expect huge results in one year! Give the man a break!

for this country to devolve to it's present status. ALL the previous administrations prior to Bush share EQUALLY in not curing the same ills that were present.
Regarding how long it is going to take BHO to "dig us out"....I am back to specifics promised...not how well the overall is in or out of anything. He has much to deliver and it starts by measuring what he does in year one.

Who knows what is lurking...by comparison spring and summer of 2007...what housing problem? What financial melt down? The DOW at it's peak from a steady growth for the previous 4 years....etc....etc...back then the only groaning was the war in Iraq. Then low and behold the cookie crumbled,,,,,IN LESS THAN ONE YEAR....a cascade that was in developement for many years and prior administrations.

I expect him to do more the first year simply because he has to deliver something for all the rhetoric and sooner than later to maintain/establish credibility.
Year 2 and beyond, events and circumstances outside his control will begin to accumulate and eventually displace campaign promises as a priority.

All one has to do is go back and look at Presidential history when they were candidates and when they were in office. The track record is that little of what was ever promised was ever delivered...by the President or any of the other 544 elite lawmakers in Washington.

So year one is an important one....to some of us.

BTK

Originally Posted by Guest

for this country to devolve to it's present status. ALL the previous administrations prior to Bush share EQUALLY in not curing the same ills that were present.
Regarding how long it is going to take BHO to "dig us out"....I am back to specifics promised...not how well the overall is in or out of anything. He has much to deliver and it starts by measuring what he does in year one.

Who knows what is lurking...by comparison spring and summer of 2007...what housing problem? What financial melt down? The DOW at it's peak from a steady growth for the previous 4 years....etc....etc...back then the only groaning was the war in Iraq. Then low and behold the cookie crumbled,,,,,IN LESS THAN ONE YEAR....a cascade that was in developement for many years and prior administrations.

I expect him to do more the first year simply because he has to deliver something for all the rhetoric and sooner than later to maintain/establish credibility.
Year 2 and beyond, events and circumstances outside his control will begin to accumulate and eventually displace campaign promises as a priority.

All one has to do is go back and look at Presidential history when they were candidates and when they were in office. The track record is that little of what was ever promised was ever delivered...by the President or any of the other 544 elite lawmakers in Washington.

So year one is an important one....to some of us.

BTK

BTK, you're right, I'm still waiting for the promised benefits and results of RWR. I have never felt the trickling, did you? What happened during GHWB’s reign, besides gazing at the “thousand points of light”, oh yes and, “read my lips”. I'm still waiting to see those lights; I certainly did see my taxes raised. And then there is GWB, what more can you say about him. Hmmm. Do the math. It adds up to a lot of years, and promises unfulfilled. Sometime, I actually think there are people in this country that would like President Elect Barack Obama to fail, at any cost to our country. Very, very sad. Yes, Godspeed Sen. Obama, and God Bless America. For some, it will not matter what this man does or doesn't do during his first year, first term, or his entire life. All they see is BHO. By the way BTK, I'm not part of the middle class, at least not according to JSM who believes the middle class earns $4-5 million a year. I'm just a retired guy, like many of you who want this country to be united, strong and respected around the world for our greatness not our strength. Yes, GB BHO and this country as we begin this next leg of our journey.