I’m voting for Obama, but I think Nader would be the best president. I trust that Ralph would have a huge effect on the biggest barriers to world peace: uncontrolled capitalism, militarism, ecological devastation, sexism and racism. Though I’m often dismayed by Barack’s views, I do know he’s at least a guaranteed revolution in racism. He can’t not be black.
Most of humanity consists of people of color, so by voting for Barack we show that America is capable of working with the rest of the world. When I have qualms, I remember that America was conceived in slavery and dedicated to discrimination towards blacks, women and minorities. Barack is a giant step toward ending that sad fact. That’s better than another correct but largely symbolic vote for Nader. It’s just gratifying gravy that Obama seems very intelligent and maybe visionary, while definitely having a lot of soul.
The tragedy of Barack is that he rocketed to glory when another great liberator, Hillary, was also surging. Sen. Clinton would have been the giant, guaranteed blow against sexism. Sarah Palin would be a blow against sexism also, but a pitifully compromised one. To transfer allegiance from Hillary to Sarah is to transfer from a quintessential example of womanly virtues to a patriarchal Jerry Falwell in drag, a violent Dick Cheney in tutu, and a corporate lapdog in family-values lipstick.
Yes, Obama is less experienced. However, McCain’s experience mainly means that he will continue to institute horrific policies very efficiently. In addition, Sarah may be a Christian fundamentalist. She may see America’s ongoing liberation from Puritanism as Sodom-and-Gomorrah corruption, and Middle Eastern turmoil as signs of the biblical Revelations’ Armageddon. If John dies, she gets hair-trigger control of America’s nuclear arsenal.
— Bill Branyon
Asheville
