My choice for president: Barack Obama

Early last year I began looking to see who was going to run for president and who I would support. I like making my decision early so I can get to work talking to voters and doing what I can to gather support for my candidate.

After looking at Al Gore and Bill Richardson, I started looking at the three candidates that were most likely to win - Clinton, Edwards, and Obama.

After going through their issues, speeches, policy ideas, etc., I selected Edwards. Of the three candidates, he was the one who understood poverty the most, had plans for attacking the problem, and didn't just use it as a line in his speech. As many may know, poverty and the issues that go along with it (such as lack of food, health and wellness care, a safe place to live, etc.) probably ranks number one on my list of issues.

Growing up, I watched as my oldest sister had to live on food stamps and welfare to be able to take care of herself and her two kids. All the while, she was going to school and working full time. Then the Clinton years came along with its "welfare reform," which in reality did away with welfare. No longer did you get money each month to help pay for all those things that food stamps don't cover, like toilet paper, medicine, diapers, gas to get you to work (which is a must in rural areas and small towns with no public transportation), and the like. So now not only do you not get enough food stamps to buy food for the entire month, but you have no money for any of the other things that you need either. So my sister and her two very young children had to move back in with us just so they'd have a place to live.

Back in 2003, three months before our daughter had her first birthday, I was laid off from my job. With the economy shot to hell, finding a job was impossible. The only things available paid so little we'd actually ending up owing money (thanks to child care). And since my job, like so many of those lost in 2002 and 2003, was a contractor position working for an online company, there wasn't any unemployment checks to fall back on either. So for about a year or so we had food only thanks to the $127 a month in food stamps we got, a few items from WIC, and the occasional generosity of family and friends. Needless to say, feeding two adults and a one year old on about $4.23 per day was impossible - especially when Abby still had to drink soy formula for several more months.

So poverty is a big issue to me, and Edwards was the one who really understood it.

But once the primary and caucus season began, it became evident that Edwards didn't have a chance. He wasn't getting much time on tv, and he was getting blown off even though he'd come in second in Iowa. Which meant once again I had to choose another candidate.

So it was back to reading up on the candidates, listening to speeches, etc. And it became evident quickly that Obama had expanded the topics he talked about, his plans for what he would do in the White House, etc. Eliminating poverty in this country took a greater part of his speeches and issues. He had plans to fix problems in this country, such as greenhouse gas emissions, while also creating jobs and fixing our economy. He wasn't just mentioning poverty anymore, but was going in depth on the problems and some solutions.

And not only did he understand poverty, but he had specific plans on a whole host of other issues that I care about, including the environment, education, and affordable and accessible health care.

Senator Clinton, on the other hand, still didn't seem to understand the problems of issues like NAFTA and "welfare reform" along with a whole host of other issues. While I am excited at the prospect of a woman as president, it was evident that she wasn't the right one for the job.

The more I've read about, listened to, and seen of Obama since making that decision has only strengthened my commitment to Obama.

And unfortunately, the more I hear, see, and listen to of Senator Clinton has only turned me away further. Her comments on Iran have to be some of the worst of what I've heard. I'm very anti-war. I have been for a long time. While in high school, I thought it would be fun to get out of class for the day by taking the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) test. After scoring high in math, science, and other related topics, the military would not leave me alone. I can't tell you how many calls and letters and visits I got from them wanting me to join the Navy. They even offered to pay for back surgery to help correct my scoliosis. And they were very specific where they wanted me - in their nuclear program. I told them over and over again I was against war and definitely was not interested in any program whose sole purpose it was to massacre entire cities of innocent civilians. They just didn't get how I could be against war.

For Senator Clinton to say she would use nuclear weapons against anyone was just completely uncalled for, in my opinion. Yes, if a country attacks another country, we should look at what our options are to help the country that has been invaded or attacked. But you go after their military and their government - you do not condemn thousands or millions to a horrible death from a nuclear bomb and its aftermath. Did we not learn anything from what we did to Japan? Nuclear bombs wipe out everything for miles and miles. They leave nothing but a wasteland behind. They don't care if the city was filled with civilians - they are indiscriminate killers. Nuclear warefare is never the answer.

If by chance Senator Clinton does end up being the nominee, I'll support her 100%. While she did say she would consider nuclear weapons, at least she didn't sing about bombing Iran. And I know that I can trust in most of her decisions and would agree with her much of the time - which is a lot more than I can say for McSame.

But until the day that nominee is selected, Obama is my candidate. He brings forth hope that this country can be changed for the better, and the ideas to do it.

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