Context

This election’s outcome, even more than the campaign leading up to it, will be transformational on multiple levels. Here’s a story illustrating just how much, at least on one level.

Remember Michelle Obama’s story about a 10 year old girl who told her that if Barack Obama wins, “it will be historical”?

I find these stories really compelling.

Of course, there are many other reasons to vote for Obama, as noted on this blog and many others. The war in Iraq, the economy, healthcare, global warming, education, incompetence in general (remember Hurricane Katrina?), torture, the shredding of the constitution, warrantless wiretapping of Americans en masse, the abrogations of signed international treaties, contempt for the rule of law—take your pick (or add your own to the list—it’s almost endless). Dick Cheney endorsed John McCain today, thereby reminding everyone with a brain that the latter really does represent, in multiple ways, a continuation of the disasters perpetrated by the administration of the former for the past 8 years. Obama wasted no time, taking full advantage of that to remind us all, once again, what's truly at stake in this election.

For God's sakes vote—but also do phone calling, travel to a battleground state, do anything you possibly can to get Obama supporters to the polls! I’m going to PA to canvass voters from Sunday through Tuesday. I’ve been arguing for years that we who live in a safe Democratic state (NY) should go to other states to do this stuff. Now that the opportunity has arisen, I’d feel like the biggest hypocrite in the world if I didn’t act on my beliefs. For the first time in my life, we have a candidate whose campaign has been predicated on ideas I truly believe in & who has rhetorically grounded his candidacy in the principles embedded in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution (as amended) & Lincoln’s second inaugural. If you feel the way I do about this election, ask yourself this: If I don’t do everything I can to a candidate I genuinely support into the White House, when will I ever get another such chance in my life?

Let’s make this happen! The future of our country and our planet are at stake!