When I grow up . . .
There used to be a time when children would dream of becoming the president when they grew up.
I am sad to say that I have never heard these words uttered by my own children.
Why?
I think it is the politicians of today. They have done a diservice to children’s dreams. Why would my sons want to be the president when all that they really have ever heard about the leader of the free world in their short lives are tales of war, terrorism, global warming, recession, healthcare woes and more negativity coupled with sensationalism? Last night as we watched the last day of the Democratic National Convention on the television, I think I saw a glimmer of what could be such a dream for my boys as they applauded Senator Obama’s acceptance speech.
True, it was just a speech, but it was also so much more. It was history in the making. They saw someone who was confident and strong. Someone who promised change and was not afraid to lay out exactly how he was going to achieve that. They saw someone both worthy of the presidency and of their adoration.
This is the kind of president I want for my young sons to emulate. A president who makes decisions that they can respect. A president they can look up to. And, I think that after last night, I may just hear those words after all.
“Mom, when I grow up, I want to be president.”
Thank you Senator Obama! You definitely have our vote!
Yes he is inspirational…and mighty handsome, too. I think his wife knocked it out of the park as well. Wouldn’t she be a great first lady?
For a tried-and-true republican who has always voted red, I find myself unusually purple this election.
I’m looking forward to next week as well. It will be good to see what the other team can do as well.
When he walked out he had an air of president about him. He was confident and elequent. I thought it was great how he acknowlegded there are some subjects the parties will always disagree on but offered compromise and a way to work on the issues together. You’ve gotta admit he’s got that magic Kennedy had and it’s growing. Some great speeches at the DNC can’t wait to see the what the RNC has to offer.
I was wondering whether I was so captivated last week as it was here, in my city – but I think it was more than that. He impressed me – but I can’t vote. But he was interesting in what he proposed. I think he did a fine job with his VP choice too. I can see why McCain (or Michael Caine as Mac calls him) picked a woman VP but I think it is already backfiring on him.
It’s definitely a sign of the times when even the organisations set up for the betterment of mankind are corrupt and failing. I think picking a President is a tough deal – despite the fact that I can’t vote – Congress always gets the last say, regardless. I say take them all out and start fresh. They should have a ‘3 strikes and you’re out’ policy too. Know what I mean? Hahaha.
After reading the other comments, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say I’m a Republican (hangs her head and tries to avoid things being thrown at her).
Hey there, another *sigh* quasi Republican reading your blog. That being said (as I am also ducking things being thrown at my wee head) I understand the sentiments, if not 100% the politics, of your post.
I”m keeping my head out of the US race – I have enough trouble keeping up with politics in the UK.
As for waiting for your kids to want to be president when they grow up, I’m hoping the boy picks something that pays more and has less hassle – I’d like to have an easy retirement!
I was a skeptic of Obama as I had invested so much of my hopes (and money) in Hillary. I thought that the Obama camp used Rovian tactics to denegrate the Clinton’s record. Being a good Democrat, I reluctantly accepted the nominaion of Obama, but I was on the cusp of becoming a PUMA when Hillary was overlooked in favor of Biden for the Veep spot.
Obama would have had my vote regardless because theRepublicans have had so much control for so long and they have failed at every level to deliver a better America. Fewer jobs, less wages, less vacation time, outsourcing, no-bid contracts, legislation hand writen by special interests, useless wars, Valerie Plame, Hurricane Katrina, falling home values, foreclosures, the deficit, etc., etc., etc.,….. the list goes on and on. Reagan came up with the famous political rhetoric to be used as a barometer for who you should vote for:
“Are you better off than you were four years ago?”
Most Americans aren’t. 95% of America’s wealth is held by 5% of the population. And they ain’t sharing!
I was impressed with Michele Obama, but she would wax lyrically about her other half, wouldn’t she. Hillary gave me goose bumps the next night: “If you hear the dogs, keep running…don’t stop!” Bill Clinton prism’d the debate by expressing the need for us to impress other nations by the power of our example rather than the example of our power. Biden gave a good fire and brimstone speech, so did Kerry and Gore. However, it was hard no to be impressed with the stadium speech of Obama. Just the sheer moxy to have the confidence to fill an 80,000 plus stadium gave me goosebumps. But, the speech, ah, the speech.
Obama spoke to the everyman. He spoke to most people and he spoke to their hearts. A mixed race man who went from food stamps to Harvard to the nomination for the presidency; you just can’t get a more American success story than that. I don’t think that Obama hit the speech out of the ball park rather than NASA is still tracking the trajectory of the baseball in orbit. I couldn’t help but feel that the great imperative that Obama feels compelled to resolve is the plight of the American people. The oligarchy has put us on,our knees. We are expected to consume and keep shares and stocks rising, but with less money and less time. When we can’t keep spending our jobs are outsourced to make up for our lack of resources. Obama spoke to these issues. I often get people telling me that I want America to looklike Europe. I respond that I would rather have America look like Europe rather than South America (from a standard of living standpoint).
The Second Amendment, abortion, a strong military are no longer pertinent to the debate of a strong America. America can’t afford McCain or Palin.