Political Analysis: Can Obama Carry the Commonwealth?

Mr. Graham, or Mr. Haney, I was in no way attempting to question your political activism. It is obvious to me that we were both politically concerned enough to respond to this article to express our views. Even if my opinion differs, I have nothing but respect for any person that shows care for the direction of our country. If I was mistaken regarding the sight, I apoligize, however, I’m sure that you can understand how this sort of misunderstanding could manifest being that the head-liner to the site states “Your source for all your automotive purchases.“ And true, the site isn’t officially active, but it does offer the visitor this: “Please bear with us as we are reorganizing and building a new site to serve you better! We’ll be back soon!“
This misunderstanding could be even further substantialized by the very comments in your response. First you state that the link to the site was “probably a mistake,“ only to state in your third sentence that you “purposely added that” to allow individuals to contact you personally. I’m sorry, sir, but I too am a son of Bristol, and I’ve never heard of you. I collectively form my opinions from the evidence that is offered, and this was exactly the case. What is more important, though, is the coming political horizons, rather than our misunderstanding. I would also like to note that everyone can provide facts, that is not some sort of new development. For every “fact” out there, another “counter-fact” will be offered, thus giving each of us the power to use one of our greatest abilities - rational thought. Furthermore, I don’t need “facts” provided to me, because as an American, I have the opportunity to observe the “facts” on a daily basis, first hand. Here are some of those observations: I continue to struggle to afford energy costs each day, as most Americans, while our current Republican leader “politely” request the Saudis up production to ease the burden, and to rub more salt in the wound, oil companies continue to post record profits. Everyday I get to experience the worry from not knowing if I’ll be able to provide my children health insurance in the days to come because I have paid dearly as the costs have sky-rocketed. During each trip to the grocery store, my wallet bears the scars of inflated costs that are finally starting to catch up. I have witnessed our president take advantage of me, and the entire nation, after the horrible attacks on 9-11, by skewing the facts to build support for invasion of Iraq…even the die-hard Bush baby Scott McClellan has recently revealed this. I also witness as each day passes that our heroes are still in Iraq, fighting to secure their future, while our governemnt continues to charge-off the future of Americans. I have watched our governement sit idle while genocide destroys Darfur when those people beg for our help, while the Iraqis beg us to leave. I get to laugh at the immigration reform offered, because building a fence along the border is somehow supposed to fix the situation while labor laws for illegal immigration are ignored without penalty. I also get to see how we are treating our soldiers in actions such as Mr. McCains opposition to updating the G.I. Bill because he is afraid that this will allow the soldiers to better secure a future outside of the military by providing them more realistic education incentives. These are only some of the things that I observe each day, and I’m sure that others can make their own observations about the direction of our country simply by living here. A starving man doesn’t need a website to tell him he’s hungry. A concerned citizen doesn’t need the media or any source other than their own experience to understand what is happening here and abroad. At the end of the day everything boils down to a simple question of whether to support a candidate that will further facillitate the very policies that have costed us so much, or take a chance on electing a black man to be president of whom offers us a return to the country we all remember so dearly. At this point, even having a republican voting history, I feel it necessary, and patriotic, to tell the current republican party that they hurt our country, and we need a change of direction. I will take a chance this election, and hell, I may even play the lottery!

I would like to point out the irony of Mr. Graham addressing his concern that we all may be taken by political baiting, or “Slick Willies” while at the same time plugging the website for his car business. And on another note, not taking Obama’s comment out of context but rather addressing Mr. Graham’s concern, alot of people outside of our region do believe that we are gun toting religious nuts, but they haven’t been able to actually see our region for what it is: a great place to call home with a wonderful sense of community and patriotism. We are a good people, with much more than we are given credit, and we can show them by first of all not letting more republican candidates “Slick Willie” us into believing that they are going to address our concerns while using our very religious beliefs and moral system to their electoral advantage, with only broken promises and nothing, absolutely nothing, to show after 8 years. We were already spoofed once, can we afford to sit idle and let it happen again?

Obama has my vote, and I will work hard to help others realize he is the right man for these hard times.  It is sad to always hear or read the thinly veiled questions about whether Obama can carry this or that area when it is obvious that the question is can a Black man win the presidency?  I hope I live to see the day when that is not a factor in choosing an employee, a friend or a president.  Here in the Bible belt, I find it ironic that some of our brothers and sisters choose to disregard the messages of Christ about the fact that we are all equal in the eyes of our Lord.

I know that audience at Bristol was not hand-picked and the questions people asked were not screened, and I believe local people value this kind of face-to-face courage and honesty.

I also know that Obama’s energy policy favors the region because he has no commitment (conflict of interest) with oil, and he includes clean coal development in his plan to cut dependence on foreign oil.

The working families of the region stand to benefit from his health care plan, whereas many (most) of them would not see any change under the McCain plan except that patient costs would continue to rise. I particularly like his commitment to hold the discussions regarding health care in open forum on CSPAN instead of in the back room with special interests.

I was born in Bristol. Tennessee, and my family for many generations has been Appalachian, small farmers and coal miners, and people with jobs and homes in southwest Virginia and east Tennessee. I am here to say Obama has my vote.