Texas 4th March 2008

Tomorrow I head to the polls in Texas and with a heavy heart, I will vote for a Democrat. I really want to vomit about the whole thing, but what can I do? I cannot vote for John McCain, and my second choice Huckabee has lost his hold on the voters, Romney- my first option- dead. How can Republicans be so wrong?
I have been a Republican since I migrated and it was a fully explored decision. The Democratic party was the one that called for us immigrants to stay in our place, while the Republican party called for self reliance and honor and duty. It was a code of ethics that appealed to me on a practical level. It resonated with many of the people I have come to call friends, because they too believe in the American promise that if you fall you can always find the resources, spiritual or financial to get up.
The Republican ideal calls for us to always get up and to always move forward. Now there are those who call themselves 'Republicans', 'right-wing', 'far right', 'conservatives' or the 'moral right'. They have no real idea about how the country works- that balance between what we want and what we can afford, yet they are determined to affect policy. They are not concerned with the need for emotional buoyancy in our country, but they decry the deflated feelings and actions of the most affected members of our society (the middle class).
I know that we can't have Ronald Reagan, but McCain?? This man has a psychological score to settle and I am positive that our country will be left picking up the shards of glass. A leader who needs war and encourages the expansion of a war that was poorly planned and pathetically executed is dangerous and bloody mental. A leader who encouraged men and women to fight until they are broken only to come home and be denied care for their trauma and wounds is one who cannot be trusted with power over a people who are too afraid to say -NO.

A leader who stood up against water boarding before he entered the race , only to vote against the measure to abolish the practice now that he is in the race is not worthy of any vote. This is beyond waffling - it instead points directly to his character and the obvious deficits.

I cannot vote for Hillary Clinton because it would be unreasonable for me to think that she would be in charge. I can hear the rasps of 'you hag', but bear with me. This is the same woman who stood still by a man who repeatedly, publicly and tastelessly cheated on her. She did nothing and yet we are to believe that he will have no control in the running of our country.
I do not agree with asking the female candidate if she can control her husband, particularly because that question is tasteless and that we already know the answer to that query.

I believe that William Clinton would again have his sticky hands all over the affairs of this country and we would not survive another bout. The Senator talks about leadership and experience yet what has she done with this experience?
Also just who is Hillary Clinton? Is she the smiling, I'm-so honored-to be-here candidate, the tired weeping (misty) candidate or the screaming angry woman complaining about an old campaign poster? I'm not saying that she's unstable, but I have learned nothing new about Hillary Clinton during this run and I do not know what face to buy.
Yes she can rub shoulders and forge back room deals with the big boys, but is that what America is all about? Are we not about transparency, do we not encourage those testing the seeds of Democracy to deal from a clean deck?

I am voting for Senator Obama because he appears to be open to having a reasonable dialogue with the American people. He seems to want our country to operate for all the people and not those those who are rich, or poor, but for the millions of others who are beginning to feel like Serfs in their own country. Emotionally, he is a mix of Michael Manley and Edward Seaga, both were Prime Ministers of Jamaica. They belonged to opposing parties, made radically different decisions about Jamaica, but they loved their country. I am hoping that Senator Obama, if he prevails will have Manley's tenderness and raw love for the people coupled with Seaga's practical belief in self reliance, a balanced budgeteducation and naked balls.
We need someone who is going to take the economic problems and the staggering debt by the scruff and tell the financially illiterate American people the truth about, the failing dollar, this frighteningly expensive war, and the economy which is now a five hundred pound woman, running in four inch Manolo Blahniks.
So I am voting tomorrow, for a Democrat and I am still unsettled by that fact, but I am reminded that I did vote for President George W. Bush- twice, and he has proven in many ways the he is no Republican.

.....Then again, there is Mike Huckabee, and we Christians need to show active support for those who are in agreement with us. Decisions....
Vote America!!
Dionne Cunningham