I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there’s an election today.  Apparently it’s for the leader of the free world.  Who knew?

I’m not sure this will make any difference to the 12 people likely to read my blog before the polls close tonight, but I thought I would take this opportunity to share why I’m voting for Obama, because, well, I’ve got to write something today.

My goal is for this to be a list of reasons I am voting FOR Obama.  It is not necessarily a list of why I am not voting for McCain, Nader, Barr or whatever granola crunching fruitcake the Greens are running.  For instance, if I were to say that I was voting for Obama because he smells good, this is not to imply that Nader smells bad, although I suspect that’s the case.

So without further ado, here is a partial list of reasons I’m voting for Barry O.

• He’s smart

Boy, that’s just refreshing to say, isn’t it?

Obama came from a fairly difficult childhood.  His father was absent.  His mom was often away.  He moved around a lot, to places where he surely felt out of place.  And yet somehow, he managed to become the editor of the Harvard Law Review – one of the most prestigious positions in all of academia. 

There is no question that the man is brilliant.   And I for one, think brilliance is an admirable quality.  I would like to think that when we look across our whole great country, that selecting one of the smartest people available is a good thing.  The presidency is perhaps the most difficult job we have on this planet, and having someone with a substantial intellect in the position is reassuring to me.

• He’s thoughtful

Much has been made of Obama’s calmness in this campaign.  In my opinion, this is a crucial quality.  The ability to accept information and analyze it rationally and dispassionately is an important trait, particularly for a job that will often require quick decisions on topics that could be driven solely, and foolishly, by emotion. 

But this evenness is not a result of disinterest or lack of caring.  Obama clearly cares about others. He sees and understands the emotional responses that are driving much of our political process.  He is aware of these emotions and responsive to them, without allowing himself to be caught up in that same whirlwind.    He is a steady hand in a fierce storm and that is something our country needs desperately.

• He’ll get us out of Iraq

We can not afford to be in Iraq any longer.  We can not afford it from a human life stand point or from a financial standpoint.  We have spent 700 billion dollars there already and in the mean time, our economy has collapsed, our infrastructure has deteriorated and we have used the best of our country to try to correct what almost everyone now agrees was a mistake. 

We must leave cautiously, we must leave carefully, but we must leave.  We need our sons and our daughters back home.  We need to regrow our battered military for real, future problems and we need to take our country’s limited finances and refocus them back home.  There is an unbearable irony in a country that is 10 trillion dollars in debt sending billions of dollars a week to a country that has a fiscal surplus and the means to financially support themselves.  We can be financially prudent without being isolationist and we can be strong militarily without being foolishly interventionist.

• He’s Pragmatic

For all the talk about hope and change and other words that are optimistic but vague, Obama has proven himself over and over again to be much less of a dreamer and much more someone who adapts to the realities of the world. 

I, for one, would love to see a single payer government run health care system (I’m a crazy liberal.  For me, it’s part of that whole what would Jesus do thing.  I tend to take him at his word when he said “heal the sick.”)  But Obama is smart enough to realize that there is not the will to do that.  He understands that this country is not ready for that extreme of a change to our healthcare system, but he also understands that there is a huge need to reform our system and to broaden the number of people covered by insurance.  His plan is a perfect blend of those competing needs.  He does nothing to change anyone’s existing health care, but he provides a way to cover tens of millions more people.

Is it a perfect plan?  Of course not, it is a plan designed in the spirit of compromise.  It’s not perfect, but unlike many competing plans, it has a chance of passing.  Obama understands that you can’t change everything and you can’t help everyone, but he knows how to maximize the change that can be accomplished.  He possesses a somewhat unique ability to consider issues from all sides - to understand not only why he is for something, but why other people are against it.  This allows him to craft legislation that will not only benefit society, but that can also get passed.

• He Cares About People

Every once in a while someone throws out the firebomb phrase “class warfare.”  This usually comes cloaked in a discussion about asking the wealthy to pay a larger share of the tax base (since they own a larger share of the country’s fortunes) in an effort to help those who have not been successful in this nation.

We do not live in a meritocracy.  Working hard is not always enough.  There are many millions of people in this country whose path to success is far steeper and includes far more obstacles than others.  To me this is an inherent unfairness. 

Again, I approach this issue from a Christian perspective (Crazy liberal Christians!  They’re destroying America!)  To me, it is our duty and obligation as a wealthy nation (well, a once wealthy nation) to help out those less fortunate on this planet.  That means giving aid to struggling nations even when it doesn’t directly benefit us (props have to go to George W for his increase in Aids spending in Africa).   It means intervening in Darfur if millions of citizens are being raped and murdered, even if there is not a political advantage in doing so.  It means looking after the poor in our own country and making sure that they are fed and clothed and housed and have access to education and health care.

These are not easy tasks, nor are they tasks that often have a powerful return on our investment.  Often, when people’s lives have been so destroyed by poverty, the money and programs we provide do little more than prevent things from getting worse.  But I believe we are called to do something to help others.  For me it comes from a Christian perspective, for many others, this moral directive comes from a different religion, or none at all.  But I believe with my whole heart that government has an important role to play here and I believe that a President Obama will reach out to the “least of these” in ways that recent administrations have not.

• He Believes in the Value of Working With Others

Our country is not an island.  The time when we could have pursued an isolationist identity is long past.  At this point, the prosperity and safety of our country is directly tied to that of the other nations on this planet.  I believe in the UN.  (I know, I’m a leftst commie).  I believe that there is value in civilly talking with our friends and enemies in an effort to solve our problems, resolve our differences, and seek out a more peaceful, more equitable world.

I also believe that there is a time when talking is not enough.  Obama has said that he would seek to solve situations diplomatically and through the UN and other organizations, but he has also said that he is not afraid to use force and he is not afraid to reject the opinions of the rest of the world if necessary.

Right now our country has taken a severe national beating.  In a few short years we went from being a beloved country who the whole world was offering to assist, post 9/11, to a country that is often despised and feared.  We can not operate in a 21st century world without the support of our allies and the respect of our enemies.  We must repair the damage we have done.  The rest of the world has almost universally said that they are supporting Obama for president because they believe that he will be able to heal these rifts. 

I know that for many, the opinions of the world are irrelevant, but I believe that it is important that we are an active cooperating member of the world community.  I believe Obama will help us to achieve a level of international respect that we have not enjoyed in a long time and I believe that this will greatly benefit our county economically and socially.  And I believe that Obama can achieve this without sacrificing the interests of our country. 

• He knows the world is complicated

There are many people who see the world as strictly black or white, who believe that any issue, any problem, any conflict can be divided into right or wrong, or good or evil.  I, for one, believe that there are very few issues in this world that are truly 100% white or black.  Everything else resides in shades of grey.  I believe Obama understands this.

He sees the complexities of the world and has the unique ability to see the good and bad of both sides of an issue.  For me, this quality encapsulates everything I’ve mentioned before – his intellect, his calmness, his compassion, his pragmatism, his willingness to reach out to others.  All of these qualities allow him to understand the complexities of an issue in a way that few of our past leaders have. 

Of course, understanding is not enough.  And I believe that Obama has demonstrated that he has the ability to take that understanding and to seek out solutions that can solve the problem without demonizing the people who disagree with him  I believe that he is wise enough to realize that there are not always easy solutions and that often the solutions that do exist are imperfect. 

In today’s ever increasingly complex, diverse and yet interconnected world we need a leader who understands the full scope of an issue and can see clear to develop a solution that takes all of that complexity into account.  Only then will we have solutions that are truly effective and truly affecting.

I don’t dislike John McCain.  I think he is an honorable man who truly wants the best for this country, even if we disagree about what that is.  But we have a leader in Obama who is exemplary.   He is a remarkable combination of wisdom, compassion and insight.

If he wins he will be taking the reins of a country that is in as bad a shape as we have seen in most of our life times.  It is an unenviable position and frankly, if the candidates of 04 were running, I would be horribly depressed, but I believe that Obama is uniquely suited for this moment.

I heard him speak a few days ago about why he (or anyone) would want to be president now and he said:

“I think this is the time to want to be president.  If you went in to public service thinking that you could have an impact, now is the time where you can have an impact.”

Our country is at a crossroads.  The difficulties facing us are extraordinary.  It is not hyperbole to say that Obama is a once in a lifetime candidate or a transformational leader.  He is uniquely equipped to deal with this difficult time and these difficult situations.  

I believe history will look back on Obama as a leader who really did bring change to America and truly did restore hope to a people who desperately needed it.

And that is why I’m voting for Obama.