Why I am supporting Obama- in case anyone cares ;)

[Robyn66]

I just finished watching the movie “Bobby” again. It always makes me cry at the end. Not because it’s a particularly great movie, I really didn’t care about the back stories that belonged to the characters, but because of the footage of Bobby Kennedy throughout the film that shows him campaigning for president in 1968. And what he meant to the people of this country.

I was two years old in 1968 so I had no idea of what a year that was. I also come from a REPUBLICAN family. I grew up in one of those families where you voted like your parents did and Daddy let you know who the right people were to vote for thank you very much.

“The Democrats are just no good.” I would hear my Mother and Grandfather say. My Dad was working three jobs at the time in the mid 70’s when I started to question things, and there was never ever a good thing said about a Kennedy in my house, and GOD help you if you tried to argue the fact. I don’t remember debate or discussion-just the truths in the house I grew up in:

Protesters were just drug addicts with nothing important to say-but they hated America and if they didn’t like this country they should get the hell out.

The people who went to Canada to avoid the draft should be brought back and shot for being deserters.

and,

We vote Republican because we Vote Republican. Those Damn Democrats want to put everyone on welfare and tax us to death.

Oh and by the way, the Kennedy’s are no good.

So, I lived my life believing the Kennedy’s were no good and I voted for Regan in the first election I was old enough to vote in and I voted for Daddy Bush like I was supposed to. My mother told me that George wasn’t really pro life and she was sure Barbara was pro-choice so I shouldn’t worry about abortion rights and I wasn’t going to have sex until I was married anyway so why worry about it.? I was in college by the time we had that conversation and had an anxious moment at the Family Planning clinic before I got on the Pill.

Slowly but surely I came to my senses. This really pissed off my parents but by then I was married with kids of my own so I could just hang up the phone. But I never got over my dislike of the Kennedy’s

I did have reasons that developed over time. I don’t think some of them did right by some of the women in their lives, but I had no idea about who they were as politicians.

So when I tell you all this, its because I have only just started learning about what the Kennedy’s stood for over the past couple of years. I really never paid attention to anything Bobby Kennedy did or said until saw “Bobby” and I was moved and touched to my heart at what he said and the ideals he embodied. And now I am reading about him and looking for news clips of his speeches because I just want to hear it all. I can only imagine that must have been somewhat what it was like when he was out in the world in his time.

Our country was in a desperate crisis in 1968 just as it is now, and people pinned all of their hopes on there even being a future on Bobby Kennedy.

Can you compare Barak Obama to Bobby Kennedy? In most ways I don’t think you can. I think that Bobby Kennedy was a once in a lifetime politician with a once in a life time vision.

But I do think that we are in a similar circumstance, if not a more dire one than 1968. We not only have a war without end but we have assaults on the constitution and now a congress who seems to be too timid to act as we have directed them.

One thing is for sure, Barak Obama must win in November. We are in a desperate place now that the people of 1968 were in. We need Barak Obama to win. We need him for the Environment, Women’s Rights and to regain respect in the world.

I am willing to look past FISA because I trust him. Frankly, I don’t care what he has to do to get elected as long as he gets elected. I have faith that he is going to correct a lot of these aberrations once he is president.

I have never been lucky enough to see Barak speak in person but I hope to some day. But even watching him on TV giving a speech grips me and makes me feel that if we can only hang on we will be ok. I believe him and I believe in him and I have never felt that way about a politician and I have never given money to a political campaign until now.

I am not normally a starry eyed “Believer” I am actually pretty cynical and believe and expect the worst from people because in my experience in life it’s a fair bet that is what you will get. But Barak is different.

So in spite of his human flaws I will do anything I can to get him elected.

He may not be Bobby Kennedy but I feel in my heart he is our generation’s Bobby Kennedy.

[grantcart]

1. Nice post

but neither RFK nor BHO are saints.

RFK approved the wiretaps that went on MLK

In 1961, Attorney General Robert Kennedy authorized the FBI in a written directive to wiretap civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr under the auspice of concern that communists were involved in the Civil Rights Movement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RFK
This isn't to diminish a person I admire greatly. FDR my favorite President put 110,000 Americans into concentration camps.

Obama should be better - he gets to stand on their shoulders and learn from their mistakes.

For forty years I have waited for someone that had the "ignitablility" factor that Bobby had and I think in this sense Obama has it - and it looks like he studied Bobby and is borrowing some of that from him. Good for him.

[Robyn66]

2. We dont need a saint

we need a good president-for a change :toast:

[iamahaingttta]

3. I was five years old in 1968...

...and that's the year that my memories kick in.

I remember watching MLK's funeral on TV.
I remember my father running into the apartment yelling "They killed Bobby Kennedy, they killed Bobby Kennedy!"
I remember my mother getting arrested at the Chicago convention, where she was an alternate in the New York delegation, a McCarthy supporter.
I remember lying in bed, night after night that summer, hearing rioting and occasional gunshots, with my right ear on the pillow (I was born deaf in my left ear) and my face to the wall, and explaining to my older sister that I did that so that "if they wanted to shoot me like they shot Bobby Kennedy, I wouldn't see them coming."

My Goddess, a five year old should not have to live like that!
I have to admit that I was lucky, however.
I can only imagine what it's like to be a five year old in Iraq.

(you know... I'm actually crying right now... a 45 year old man, crying at his memories from when he was five, and crying for the memories of other five year olds.)

Yes, let's elect Senator Obama. Maybe we can spare a few other five year olds from those kinds of memories!

[gblady]

8. wow....

what memories...

(((hugs)))

[Robyn66]

10. How horrifying that must have been for you!

I do remember when I was old enough to see the news and the protests I was so horrified to see the violence. It made no sense to me at all it just melded together in my young mind as the world being a very bad place.

I do clearly remember seeing news footage of a monk burning himself to death in the street and that image stayed with me my entire life.

I turned 5 in 1971 so I remember watching the news with my parents and being afraid a lot. I can't imagine how it would have been to have been in the middle of things in 1968.

But one thing I do remember, and I think I remember it even more clearly than I do 9/11 was being in my car listening to Colin Powell describing the huge amounts of Sarin that Iraq was going to drop on us at any moment.

I remember days being in tears believing that my children will never live long enough to grow up because there were terrorists everywhere with the ability to kill us by scattering Anthrax into the mail and into cities.

I remember being caught up in that post 9/11 fear and looking to the President to protect me. And even though I didn't vote for him and was not happy about the way the election went he was pretty impressive on 9/11 and I didn't believe with such a serious thing as National Security lies would be told.

I remember buying crosses for my children and husband. I am not a religious person but I did it JUST IN CASE.

I remember fear so thick it was in every breath you took and you could taste it in the air.

I remember being an intelligent college educated professional woman who was buying duct tape and plastic and stocking up on water and Dinty Moore stew because any day the Iraq could attack us.

I am embarrassed to admit these things and why I am doing it to a bunch of strangers is also unlike me.

But I am so angry and bitter that our reality was manipulated and stolen from us and that my main fear was that I couldn't protect my children from a ton of SArin being dumped on New Hampshire.

I know I am not the only person who was thrown into temporary insanity over this and it makes me so angry I can't even express it to realize it was all a lie. And every soldier and civilian in Iraq who has died has died because of a lie.

And it is so important that McCain not have a chance to win in November because I am really afraid that we will go down a road that we will not come back from if he is.

I believe Obama will win. I think there is a good chance especially because Bob Barr will help. It should be a land-slide but I know that they will steal votes again and I don't underestimate the level of stupidity some of my fellow Americans posses.

All I can say is that in spite of any flaws Obama has we are DAMN lucky we have him as our nominee and its not someone like Lieberman or another DINO.

So AMEN to you. I pray with all my heart that we can spare future men women and children the horrors that would come with a McCain administration! :hug:

[shireen]

4. there's a subtle difference between supporting him and voting for him

1) Some of us have 100% faith, trust, & support in him.
2) Some of us don't like everything he does, and call him out on it, but we'll vote for him in November.

It's OK to have both perspectives, because, in the end, we're all going to vote for him in November.

Keep on bickering, but do it for the sake of argument. Whatever you say will not change the way we will vote in November, and it will have very little impact on undecided voters because they probably don't read DU.

Now play nice ...

[iamahaingttta]

6. I don't think those are necessarily...

... two mutually exclusive perspectives.

I don't have 100% faith and trust in Obama. (or in anybody else on the planet!)
I also don't like everything he does, and I'm willing to call him on it.
I still support him, however.

[knixphan]

5. There ya go!

Good post.

[azmouse]

7. K&R

[Duder]

9. Good comparison

Both with the ability to inspire.

[mloutre]

11. Good on ya, Robyn66.

And welcome to DU!

[crankychatter]

12. in 1968 we had a bonfire vigil outside a napalm distribution point at the harbor in my town

there was this kid there with a tricorner hat, like the old time American Revolutionaries...

I used to just go there once in a bit to hang out with the hippies... and it was walking distance from my house...

a few years later I met a captain that was Bobby Kennedy's campaign chair in California.... I forget his name now... after it all... he enlisted.

In different ways... I think we were both burn outs...

There was something in him... some anger... some despair... as if no amount of crying could dispel the grief... bottomless darkness in the eyes

intractable cynicism

My ex GF and I talk all the time... she's not "for" Obama... but she tells me she prays every day for him...

She says these young people don't deserve what might be coming...

I don't believe in god... I pray to the god I don't believe in sometimes though...

I believe in something... and like you... I believe in Obama

even more than Obama... I believe in my kids... in THEIR hope

[Robyn66]

16. I'm right there with you

Our kids deserve better than what this country has become and the only way it will get better is for Barack Obama to get elected.

[Top Cat]

13. Why I am supporting Obama- in case anyone cares

Robyn

I agree Barak must win he is the only hope we have at the moment to return this country back to being the world leader. He will make improvements from day 1 and we cannot afford for him not to win.

[cliffordu]

14. I'm voting for Obama, in case anyone cares-

Because I want the smartest guy in the room to be the President.

Because I want a President that can read.

Because Obama is infinitely better than anyone else with a snowball's chance in hell of getting elected.

[barack the house]

15. You can see Obama as the completion of the MLK story. I believe him too, this moment is special.

"I believe that one day a man will be judge not by color of skin but by the content of chracter I have a dream today" MLK

In the rest of the world Kennedys and Dr King are iconic figures, it's a continuation of the dream.