Alex Kaminski’s Blog

Not long ago I remember being completely inspired by Obama. He brings exactly what our nation needs right now: a new direction, respect from our allies and enemies, and someone with whom the rest of the world can relate. He lives the ultimate American dream and proves that America is what it claims to be: the land of the free, where anyone can become anyone; and I was proud to support him.

1. But then the Reverend Wright scandal happened. I almost fully lost faith in him. It’s hard to fathom someone being an active part of a church where the reverend utters such hate (even if it’s once every few years). The point was that Reverend Wright has a specific mindset (regardless of how often his actual sermons were anti-America) and Obama made the choice to associate himself and be friends with this individual for 20 years.

2. Israel is our greatest Ally in the world. Period. I believe that Americans hold more values (freedom, fairness, peace) in common with Israelis than any other nationality. I think we have the obligation and the privilege of supporting Israel fully in any regard. Obama claims to support Israel, but every time he is asked if he would provide military support he gives a general (although very eloquent) answer. Whereas it is clear that McCain would support Israel (his voting history shows it).

3. Obama is the perfect politician. He out-maneuvers Karl Rove and career politicians. He is smarted, more educated, and more ambitious than most of his colleagues in the Congress. This is a powerful combination and something I want in a President. However, I had the fear that he is too perfect, that he plays the game too well. The fear here is that he would be able to accomplish anything he wanted once he got into office. And because of his short career, it was not clear exactly what he would want to accomplish (I’m looking at his actions and not speeches).

For these three reasons, I was unsure who I would vote for. But then McCain choose Palin as his VP-pick. This showed an unprecedented lack of judgment and made me rethink my view of McCain.

1. McCain is old. There is no question about it, and this is a very important issue. This is a critical time in our nation: We are fighting two wars while losing political capital and allies around the world. Our economy is starting to fail. Our kids education in science and engineering is far behind other countries. And countries such as India and China are even catching up with us in space exploration. A president needs two terms to fully accomplish his or her objectives and create global stability, especially in the current state.

2. McCain is the past. We are in the 21st century. The internet and computers have revolutionized the way we live and learn. A DNS attack on our military’s network can be just as successful as a nuclear strike on every underground military command post. McCain does know how to use a computer, nor do I think he fully understands the impact technology has.

3. God forbid Palin becomes president. Her views on evolution and intelligent design scare me. Compared to other nations we are already behind in science, we don’t need to get behind further by teaching creationism. We need our kids to learn science first and religion second. If most countries dislike Americans, what will happened when (with McCain’s age it’s not an if, but a when) she is president? How will they react to her folksy demeanor? (besides for Pakistan, of course)

We need a president that will lead us in the 21st century. We need to regain our global standing and respect in the world. We need to stop focusing on social issues such as gay rights and healthcare and focus on education and science. The future is not in gay marriage (which I support) and intelligent design but in stem cell research and space exploration.

We live in the greatest nation in the world. We have more resources than most nations. Most of our companies’ revenues are greater than the GDP of other countries. We need to look at the future and leap ahead. The rest of the world can catch up at their pace, we don’t need to wait for them. We need to invest heavily in science, technology, medicine, and space exploration while focusing on our economy. As a country we need to stop wasting time deciding what social issues are more important and focus on advancing the human race. If we can’t (or won’t) do it, nobody can (or will).

Based on these points, I believe that Obama is the right choice for the next president of the United States. I truly hope he wins and that it will be a game-changer, just as he claims.