I found Colin Powell’s endorsment of Barack Obama to be well stated and impressive. I also know that my mother is a democrat however voted for the em-effing Bush; something that seems clearly a result of her value of church.  So I sent a link to the endorsment to her and I should have expected her response. Here is a link to the video. Watch it if you have seven minutes and aren’t already totally tired of this election. My mom emailed me a response that got under my skin and pissed me off on several levels. Her response was the following (her bold type included):

Hmm…really? Have you really done the research on Obama? Dig in and really search him out. Check out Fox News. It’s pretty hard to blow off his background, for me anyway. I’m actually pretty surprised at this endorsement as I’m sure many are. And equally surprised that you sent this to me. I really struggle with the church that Obama attended for twenty some years. His pastor really is against whites among other things. You can’t attend someone’s church and just ignore these things. We’ve left a few churches just on the pastor’s preaching and the way he ran his church. It is amazing to me that people are just ignoring that fact. All his connections with Ayers, Farrakhan, Rezko and others. I could go on, but ultimately you will make your decisions. But really, really read. I could have bombarded you with anti-Obama stuff, but you have indicated your stance on certain things. You have a right to your own opinions and choices. I blame myself for some of the way I have influenced your life. I know that McCain is not much of a choice either, but at least he is open with all his records, birth certificate, medical records, etc. You really know most of his background and what he stands for. Which I don’t think Obama has been completely open with all his records. Oh, and check out his wife and what she stands for. Some of the things that Obama wants to do down the road, could affect your paycheck in the wrong way. Ugh, politics!

So at this point I wrote a response and I haven’t sent it back.  I’m not sure it is worth it.  I would however like to at least clear up that I’m not just blindly anti-McCain (thus my support is going to the other guy) and completely unread. On the contrary. I’ve read a lot. Here’s my response:

Wow, I’m really considering my words when I write this.  I’ve grown up believing you were a democrat with a more populist position on what the world should be like. I was dissappointed and quite surprised to hear you voted for Bush. For very similar reasons I see McCain as very obviously the wrong choice for the country; especially for today’s times. To imply I don’t know about Obama and to follow up with Fox News as an informative source is a mistake.  Fox is a very conservative, very biased, and very politically skewed ‘news’ outlet.  They frequently report information that is inaccurate and straight from Republican strategist press releases. That is, the news is often precisely what the political strategist wants the people to hear. Again, don’t take me wrong by writing this stuff. I tend to be a bit blunt when I write. The point is that most of the garbage on the television is meaningless and all too often complete fabrications.  Obama’s connections with Ayers, et al, are irrelevant–especially when you consider the folks surrounding McCain and every other major political figure. Ayers in particular is a complete red herring and another example of the McCain campaign grasping at strings in order to tie even the most distant dirt on tthe other guy. Really read. None of this crap matters when we’re trying to figure out who is going to help this country. Bush was one of the worst presidents for this country and yet the popular media was talking about Swift Boats and Gay Marriage. Clearly these meant nothing for what the president did to the country and world.

Now I’m not saying I like Obama.  In Colin Powell’s words, I agree that we need a transformational figure from a newer generation and Obama is that man. It is an important change in the country’s path into the future.  McCain represents very little of what the world needs; primarily concerning the environment, the great majority of society (that being the working class), and our military position in the world and how we deal with other countries.  It is all the standard Republican modus operandi that places much of the peoples’ well-being and power in the hands of the very rich and powerful with the expectation that they will do what is best all the while speaking to conservative supporters as if they were about family values. It just never works out that way. The rich and powerful got that way because their goals are not in the interest of what is right and best for humanity.  Bush’s presidency was unprecedented for its secrecy, anti-environmental policy, unconstitutional actions, cronyism, and overall incompetence. Sure, McCain “is not George Bush” but he certainly supports the same things that have been sucking this world dry over the last 8 years.  What’s worse is this Palin joker.  I don’t even want to talk about how absurd and completely political that choice was.  No other institution in the world puts such lack of qualifications in charge. The worst part is how everyone swoons for this woman and acts like she cannot be criticized like any male VP is/should. Thankfully, I think the larger part of the journalists out there see how unlikely and irresponsible that pick was–but I’m not watching Fox News.

I could start in on Obama, as well.  He’s not my candidate. What he is, though, is the only choice as an alternative to what I see as entirely the wrong choice. McCain’s no maverick when you look at the big picture. It is all a big advertisement; a way of making his name a brand and separating himself from Bush.  

But I feel like I know where the anti-Obama sentiment comes from.  I don’t understand why there needs to be this misconception that the left is anti-religion. After all, the majority of people believe in God, and that includes people of all political affiliations. I don’t think there is enough emphasis on the philosophical importance of keeping religion out of government.  This country was founded on religious freedom and religious lawmaking has a huge potential and likelihood of violating other peoples’ freedoms and constitutional rights. It is not that government is anti-religion. It is that government needs to be responsible for all of its people. I mean, it is one of the major things that Jesus was fighting for in his time. The church was very powerful and taking money for forgiveness and access to God. But this part of the discussion is not a good argument for what I feel is where most of the religious folks’ base their political decisions. It is fear, ultimately, in a very generic way, and an incomplete picture of why the world is the way it is.

Clearly I have followed this political rabbit too far down the hole.  I have spent a lot of time following this campaign and I was completely angered and upset when Bush took the last two elections. This election is the next one that could let me down or completely defeat any hope of a better direction. Either way, it’s not going to be pretty.

I hope I did not offend.

Mark