After I saw that President Barack Obama had won Ohio and thus
was projected to win the presidency, I stayed up as late as I could waiting for
a victory speech and a concession phone call. I was worried that even though
it was projected that President Barack Obama would win, things might change
while I slept.
What if Romney was holding off on conceding because he
wanted a recount?
What if the precincts that had yet to report could actually change things?
What if we had to hold
off on announcing a winner for days or weeks while those affected by Sandy
got their votes in?
What if hanging chads
came back to haunt us?
Lucky for me, nothing changed overnight.
I have refrained from posting anything on social media about
the election. Facebook and Twitter have been dirty, ugly, hateful places for
the past 6 months. Instead, I went to work doing what I could to make sure that
if / when I voiced my opinions, they would be well-reasoned and well-founded.
I watched the debates with as unbiased an eye as I could.
I perused both liberal and conservative media sources.
I discussed the issues with my politically astute friends
and family members.
I’ll admit it, back in 2008, I thought it would
revolutionary, ground-breaking and just plain awesome if Barack won. He’d make
history as the first African-American president and I’d be alive to see that historical
moment.
But, in 2012, I was nervous. I was anxious. I didn’t know
what should happen.
Does Barack Obama really
deserve another stab at being president?
If he gets four more years, will anything really change?
What if he gets four more years and things get really, really shitty around here?
Even through these unanswerable questions, I stood firm in
my vote. I knew who I was casting a vote for and I knew why I was casting that
vote.
I was voting for our president because I believe that he is
on the right side of history. I believe that even though he is imperfect, has
made mistakes, and hasn’t delivered on all of the change he promised years ago,
I believe that he is leading this
country in the direction that we need to be led in.
I believe that the ending military involvement in Iraq is a
step in the right direction for America.
And, as First Lady Michelle Obama said, I am voting for him for his character. I
believe him to be a good person with good intentions.
I believe that our president is a man who ran for this
office to make the world a better place for his wife, his daughters, and all
other Americans.
I love that he is gracious, hardworking, tenacious, and
well-spoken – qualities that are important to me.
And, like President Obama stated on his first campaign trail,
“In the unlikely story that is America,
there has never been anything false about hope.”
Maybe what I’m saying here still isn’t enough for you. But
it’s enough for me.
I look FORWARD to
the next four years.
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