I try not to get too political on a blog like this.  However, this year’s presidential election is too important to not address it at least twice a month.  As you may or may not be aware, I am a resident of Allentown in the Commonwealth (not a State) of Pennsylvania.  Political analysts believe that Pennsylvania is the most important primary election.  If others don’t believe that Pennsylvania is the most important, then they most likely agree that it is the second most important, just behind Ohio.

On Monday, March 31, I had the opportunity to go to a pep rally for Barack Obama at Muhlenberg College.  I am supporting Barack Obama during the 2008 Presidential Election: There are four main reasons:

1.  I am a member of a Christian denomination known as the United Church of Christ.  This is the denomination that used TV advertised to promote it’s “God is Still Speaking” campaign and is known for being one of the most liberal Christian denominations.  If you would like to view or revisit these ads, check out any of the these five links.  The first link goes directly to the “God is Still Speaking” radio and TV ads website and the second link is a YouTube playlist.

http://www.ucc.org/god-is-still-speaking/televison-ads.html 

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=437CDF101262FB11 

I know this is a shock to some because there are rumors that Obama took his oath of office as a United States Senator on the Qur’an.  This is simply not true.  Head on over to “Know the Facts of Barack Obam’s Religion” for a fact check on Obama and his religion.

It is my belief, that for a lot of people, that someone’s religious views effects their political views.  I believe this especially to be true with policy related to human rights and topics of morality (e.g. abortion, gay marriage, and war).  Out of these two categories, the only major issue that Obama and myself differ on is gay marriage.  According to a USA Today Candidate Match Game, Obama believes that “It should be allowed, but that same-sex couples should be able to enter into civil unions with the same rights as marriage.”  I personally don’t agree with if his stance because I believe that gay marriage should be allowed and that his view on this issue is a new version of “separate but equal.”  Although, Obama may be taking this public stance in order to get the votes of a couple of Republicans.  Who knows?

2.  I believe that Barack Obama is what this country of ours needs at this time.  The past 7 years (since September 11, 2001) have been horrible.  I know that this is my opinion and I hope that you respect it.  When I was an undergraduate student studying Music Education, every spring I went on a choir tour with about 40 other students.  During my freshman year (2002/2003 academic year) during this spring concert tour, I was in southeastern Virginia being hosted by an elderly couple.  This basically meant that I stayed the night at their house and they fed me in the morning.  After my hosts went to sleep for the night, I watched some TV, specifically the news.  The main topic on the late night news was that the United States had invaded Iraq.  It was March 19, 2003.  I will always remember that day and I don’t need a 5 year anniversary celebration to remind me.  The events of this day, and the last 5 years, have deeply divided our country and it needs to be fixed.  The wars in the Middle East have effected how our government spends money and this needs to change.  We are wasting way too much money on this war and we have no real proof that we are any more secure than we were September 10, 2001.

3.  While Barack Obama may not have the same amount of political experience that Hillary has, even though she was only elected to the United States Senate in the 2000 election and was sworn into office in 2001 (Obama was sworn into office in 2005), this doesn’t bother me.  Politicians that have been stuck in Washington, D.C. politics have been bought by lobbyists and have had hope sucked out of them.  Obama still has this hope and this scares Washington, D.C. politicians.

4.  The thing that I like most about his election strategy is that he doesn’t use smear campaigns to hurt the reputation of his opponent.  Today it is considered normal for politicians to fight to the death while campaigning.  He also doesn’t use fear to encourage people to vote for him.  During the month of February, Hillary released a TV ad which featured a little girl sleeping at 3 A.M. and asking who you would want to answer the White House phone when there is an emergency.  THIS IS FEAR!!!  The exact same tactic that the Bush administration has been using since September 11, 2001.  FYI:  The girl in this video doesn’t even support Hillary and her campaign.  Don’t believe me, check out this YouTube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXmYVRIpu2wI 

I leave this post with two additional playlists from YouTube of videos that feature a speech that Barack Obama gave in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the eve 5 year anniversary of the start of the Iraq War (March 18, 2008).  This is titled “A More Perfect Union.”  This speech is divided into 5 different segments and is a total of about 37 minutes long.  The second set of videos is an interview that Obama had with the CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network).

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=B909CB92963B856C 

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=3A661D934B6C6767 

“My name is Douglas Brace and I approve this message.”