As a nation, the number 80 seems to be a peculiar feature of our republic. It was approximately 80 years ago that the nation voted overwhelmingly for FD Roosevelt, for change in the face of the Great Depression. 80 years before that, there was Lincoln, and 80 years before that- George Washington.
Friends, we are at a crossroads of history. Now, as the 80th year approaches and history confronts us once more, we are left with a deceptively simple choice. There is a feeling I have that this election will determine the course of history and may be the single factor that either restores or destroys the falling opinions of the US abroad. As it is, the best man for the job may be Barack Obama.
For what this nation is, or rather, for what “President” Bush has let this nation become, we need somebody new. We are embroiled in not one, but two wars, while our reputation worldwide has fallen to incredible lows. TIME Magazine had a story about worldwide polls asking which nations people believed had a better government. Of the nations, the majority of people believe that the Kremlin is a better government that the White House! This reflects very poorly upon us as a nation, and we need someone to restore our reputation. The politicians have done little to stop this. For them all that matters is making money, but Obama is different. Barack has refused to take money from lobbyists, meaning that his capital is much smaller than the other candidates, but also that he is not burdened by special interests. In one sense, you might say that Obama’s sole special interest is the American people. Now THAT is a revolutionary statement for a politician.
And the war? Even in 2002, Obama was a stalwart opponent of the invasion of Iraq. No other candidate can claim anything similar. We cannot say that Bush lied, because the intelligence that the war was based on turned out to be false. MI-6, FSB, the Mossad, and various other intelligence agencies all had the same information. But when Congress nearly unanimously supported the war, Obama stood among a small contingent of those who were opposed to the war no matter what the CIA told us. History has vindicated Obama, perhaps in a subtle means of drawing our attention to him. Obama remains among the few candidates who are committed to a complete withdrawal because he, unlike Hillary, unlike McCain, unlike Giuliani.
We are at a crossroads of history. Now, like every 80 years before, we have the opportunity to directly change the course of our nation. The chance may not come again in our lifetimes, but now we have the opportunity to make there be another chance. Therefore, not only for myself and for America, but for the world. I will be voting Obama, and I invite everyone to join me. The best politician is not a politician.
From the mind of Eamon Driscoll
