I woke up this morning anxious to start the day. After stepping into the warmth of the sun in this new city, in my new neighborhood, the butterflies kicked into high gear. I held firmly onto the confirmation card--proof that I was registered to vote in the California Primary election. As a democrat, I looked forward to mulling over the slate of candidates running on our ticket for the presidential election. What other party, what other country, could you have a Latino, African American, Jewish AND female candidate all on the same ballot? My decision was easy and like most bay area progressives, Obama had won me over. His line at the Democrat National Convention 4 years earlier about, "...there's not a liberal America and a conservative America - there's the United States of America." along with his his views on politics as outlined in his book, "The Audicity of Hope" drew me in. You can read his entire DNC speech here: As excited as I was voting for Obama, I had to acknowledge the fear of a "wasted vote." After all, Hillary Clinton had much greater name recognition and was considered the candidate to beat. But with politics as with personal choices, I wanted to ensure my decision was NOT based on fear. There were several friends who expressed an interest in Barack but they were afraid (primarily because of race) that he may lose to the Republican candidate in the national election. Basically, they had no faith that our fellow Americans would make a decision based on the best candidate. Pehaps my vote will be "wasted" as my vote for Ross in 1992. But there is something to be said for a candidate who can truly inspire and motivate a generation of young folks. He, along with Benazir, both give me hope for my country.
