Jeckles Geek Blog

This morning  I voted for Barack Obama.  And I think that he can win.  I certainly hope he does.

I probably would have voted for who ever the Democratic candidate was, but I doubt I would have been this excited about it.  At the beginning of this cycle I didn’t think that Obama could possibly win.  I liked some of the things he said, but I didn’t believe that he was a realistic candidate.

Man was I was wrong.  This guy is smart, energetic and seems to sincerely want to make things better.  I like him cause he says, “Here’s what we’re gonna do…” and then he tells me what he wants to do.  That shouldn’t be remarkable, but it is.  Most politicians speak in sound bites, and when it comes time to explain their plan, it sounds like gibberish.

Do I think that Obama can do all things he says he wants to?  Hell,  I don’t know.  I’m tempted to say that some of these things are a bit naive and that you can’t just make these changes in today’s Washington.  But I’m not going to say that.  I’m done under-estimating this guy.

I thought, initially, that he had screwed up when he chose Biden as his running mate.  Everyone knew how gaffe-prone he was.  But what was supposed to be his great weakness is what makes him a credible partner in this campaign.  Joe Biden speaks his mind and his heart.  Occasionally, that creates a gaffe, but I don’t hear in him this political mumbo jumbo.  I hear someone who believes in this campaign.  Completely.

The Obama people have talked about running a “50 State Campaign” from the very beginning.  Again, when I first heard that, I thought that it was a nice idea, but you can’t do that.  You have to focus on the states you can win and pour your resources in to those states.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  I have no doubt that the strategy of campaigning to the whole country, is the very reason that Obama is poised to win a few traditionally Red states.  More than that, it’s a much better way to view the election and the country.  McCain and Palin have been campaigning to what they perceive to be the Real America, pitting those so-called Real Americans against the rest of the country.  And alienating the rest of us in the process.  If you want to be President of all 50 states, how could you do anything but run a 50 State Campaign.

Like I said, I’m done doubting Barack Obama.  I’m a believer.  I think that his vision will improve this country.

I’m proud to say that I voted for Barack Obama and I encourage anyone who hasn’t voted yet to consider doing the same.  You won’t regret it.