Welcome! Convince me to vote for Obama!
Hello!
Well, it's Presidential Election time again — that four-year cycle which Saudi Arabia's Prince Bandar calls America's "seasonal tribal warfare".
And, once again, I endure ongoing ridicule and ostracism from my Democrat peers. Everywhere I go I see t-shirts and bumper stickers lauding Hope and Change, constructivist artwork depicting Barack Obama as a grandiose revolutionary leader, and coffee-shop groups buzzing about the wonders of an Obama Presidency.
And none of it makes the slightest bit of sense to me.
My friends and co-workers are generally in the same demographic as me, with equivalent levels of education, income, similar professions, similar interests, and so on. The vast majority of them are aquiver with Obama fever. Yet they can offer me no explanation for how their own lives would be any better with an Obama Presidency.
They offer me abstract statements of morality and sociopolitical philosophy, but I'm really not interested in getting someone else's morals shoved down my throat. They offer me heated emotional diatribes expressing why they are voting for Obama, but I can't trace the source of their emotions back to anything I personally can relate to. It's gotten to the point where I can't talk to most of them about it because verbal conversations tend to sort of wander off into the proverbial woods.
That's why I'm starting this blog. Maybe a written conversation can be a little bit more sensible than a verbal one.
So, I offer an open challenge to any Obama supporters reading this to convince me to vote for Obama. This involves demonstrating to me why having Obama in the Oval Office will be good for me — a 30-year-old professional, single, educated white male homeowner.
In order to do this, you have to tell me how I will be better off with Obama as our next President.
Don't give me Obama's star power or his life story. I don't care where he grew up or how great his speechwriters are. Don't tell me how awesome or wonderful you think he is — on its own, I don't find your opinion convincing just because you really, really feel it.
Don't give me his background or his relationships unless they serve as a guide to his decision-making tendencies. And even then, I only care insofar as those decisions end up affecting me.
Don't give me abstract arguments about class struggle or social justice or how Obama will help other people. That's great for them, they can vote for him as far as I'm concerned. My vote is mine, and I will use it for myself. Other people's votes are theirs. The beauty of the election process is that it allows every citizen an equal chance to fight for themselves, regardless of race or gender or income, and the best results for the country arise from the synergistic effects of everyone pursuing their own individual greatness.
Don't challenge me to convince you to vote for McCain. I don't know who you are or what you believe in, so I can't tell you whether or not McCain should be your man. The purpose of this blog is to share enough about me to give you the opportunity to change my mind.
Do make your case. I'm skeptical but open-minded. Give me something I can grok, and my vote's all yours.
If you give me an argument that convinces me to vote for Obama, I will not only cast my own vote for him, but will use it to convert other conservative friends and bloggers. What you have here is a chance to explore ways to engage in respectful, meaningful debate, with a clear objective that serves your purpose. Use it wisely.
For starters, let me help you out and save you some time. Here's a few approaches that my Obama-loving peers have already tried with me. Note, of course, that I'm still voting for McCain.
Well, it's Presidential Election time again — that four-year cycle which Saudi Arabia's Prince Bandar calls America's "seasonal tribal warfare".
And, once again, I endure ongoing ridicule and ostracism from my Democrat peers. Everywhere I go I see t-shirts and bumper stickers lauding Hope and Change, constructivist artwork depicting Barack Obama as a grandiose revolutionary leader, and coffee-shop groups buzzing about the wonders of an Obama Presidency.
And none of it makes the slightest bit of sense to me.
My friends and co-workers are generally in the same demographic as me, with equivalent levels of education, income, similar professions, similar interests, and so on. The vast majority of them are aquiver with Obama fever. Yet they can offer me no explanation for how their own lives would be any better with an Obama Presidency.
They offer me abstract statements of morality and sociopolitical philosophy, but I'm really not interested in getting someone else's morals shoved down my throat. They offer me heated emotional diatribes expressing why they are voting for Obama, but I can't trace the source of their emotions back to anything I personally can relate to. It's gotten to the point where I can't talk to most of them about it because verbal conversations tend to sort of wander off into the proverbial woods.
That's why I'm starting this blog. Maybe a written conversation can be a little bit more sensible than a verbal one.
So, I offer an open challenge to any Obama supporters reading this to convince me to vote for Obama. This involves demonstrating to me why having Obama in the Oval Office will be good for me — a 30-year-old professional, single, educated white male homeowner.
In order to do this, you have to tell me how I will be better off with Obama as our next President.
Don't give me Obama's star power or his life story. I don't care where he grew up or how great his speechwriters are. Don't tell me how awesome or wonderful you think he is — on its own, I don't find your opinion convincing just because you really, really feel it.
Don't give me his background or his relationships unless they serve as a guide to his decision-making tendencies. And even then, I only care insofar as those decisions end up affecting me.
Don't give me abstract arguments about class struggle or social justice or how Obama will help other people. That's great for them, they can vote for him as far as I'm concerned. My vote is mine, and I will use it for myself. Other people's votes are theirs. The beauty of the election process is that it allows every citizen an equal chance to fight for themselves, regardless of race or gender or income, and the best results for the country arise from the synergistic effects of everyone pursuing their own individual greatness.
Don't challenge me to convince you to vote for McCain. I don't know who you are or what you believe in, so I can't tell you whether or not McCain should be your man. The purpose of this blog is to share enough about me to give you the opportunity to change my mind.
Do make your case. I'm skeptical but open-minded. Give me something I can grok, and my vote's all yours.
If you give me an argument that convinces me to vote for Obama, I will not only cast my own vote for him, but will use it to convert other conservative friends and bloggers. What you have here is a chance to explore ways to engage in respectful, meaningful debate, with a clear objective that serves your purpose. Use it wisely.
For starters, let me help you out and save you some time. Here's a few approaches that my Obama-loving peers have already tried with me. Note, of course, that I'm still voting for McCain.
- Obama will fix the economy, end the housing crisis, create jobs
- Obama will alleviate tax burden on "the middle class" by taxing "the rich"
- Obama will implement socialized health care
- Obama will create alternative energy programs
- Obama will bring the troops home from Iraq
- Obama will avoid war with Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Russia, etc.
- Vote Obama, keep the Religious Right out of power!
- Prove that America isn't racist by electing a black man
- Everybody else wants Obama to win, so vote to be around happy people
- I'm stupid, deluded, I should be ashamed of voting Republican, and this website sucks
- I should be voting for the country, not for myself
- This website is full of nothing but strawmen and factual errors
Comments