Going Home With the Guy What Brung Me

[NanceGreggs]

Being a woman of a certain age (i.e. too old for childbearing, mini-skirts, and believing that any candidate is perfect), I am cognizant of the fact that the only political candidate I will ever perceive as being perfect is myself.

I agree with myself wholeheartedly on every issue, am not likely to take myself to task over anything, and although I can handle criticism, I doubt that I would hurl any in my own general direction.

However, I am also painfully aware of the fact that I am not our Party’s presidential nominee – and fully acknowledge that if I were, I couldn’t get elected to save my life.

That being said, I have had to choose to support a candidate other than ME in every election since I was old enough to vote (which occurred somewhere between the Civil War and the release of the first Indiana Jones movie – and I won’t be getting any more specific than that.)

So the 2008 primaries came around, and there was this guy. He was young and charismatic, well-mannered and well-spoken. He was intelligent, grounded, and at the same time visionary – I liked his style.

The more I listened to what he had to say, the more I appreciated the substance of his words, and the heart behind them.

And then I got lucky. From a field of truly remarkable candidates, the majority of my fellow Democrats saw what I saw, heard what I heard, and chose him as our nominee.

I went into this relationship with my eyes wide open. I knew that there would be times that this man would inspire me, and encourage me to be a participant in my government and my world. I also knew there would be times he would disappoint me, frustrate me, infuriate me.

But I was in it for the long haul, and determined not to be dissuaded from seeing this particular man take the oath of office, from hearing him swear to defend and uphold the Constitution of the United States of America knowing that he would be held accountable for doing just that.

Over the past week, I have read an endless array of posts proffered as constructive criticism of Barack Obama’s stance on FISA, public campaign financing, and the death penalty – and truth be told, some of those posts were indeed an honest critique, and/or an appropriate expression of disagreement with our nominee’s statements and conduct.

However, it seems that the vast majority of these posts, IMHO, while published under the guise of honest dissent, are either (a) a whiny complaint that their individual ideals were not being adhered to, or (b) an opportunity to say I told you so – the inference being that if said poster’s preferred candidate-of-choice had been the nominee, they would have proven themselves to be all things to all people by this point in the game.

My personal favorite comment, when pointing out what are perceived by many to be the miserable failings of our nominee, is, “Well, I have my principles,” a remark meant to imply that the rest of us have none at all.

Well, I, too, have my principles, and Principle Number One is seeing to it that Barack Obama is the next POTUS. And THAT principle, to my way of thinking, trumps all other principles, combined. It’s going to be John McCain (R) or Barack Obama (D) – those are your choices. And your self-touted principles should dictate the obvious choice between the two.

Given some of the comments I have seen here of late, I wonder whether some posters are still unaware of the fact that WE HAVE A NOMINEE – a situation that is not about to change.

Implying that your preferred candidate would seem, in retrospect, to have been the better choice (and that’s the world according to you and not necessarily the rest of us) is not going to change the fact that your candidate is no longer relevant to the task at hand: ensuring that our chosen nominee is sworn-in next January.

In short, if you are looking for a candidate who is going to be in lockstep with every position you take, every opinion you hold, every stance you have decided is the “right stance”, you are bound to be disappointed – and if you honestly believe that your personal disappointment is more important than seeing a Democrat in the Oval Office for the next eight years, you might want to consider the concept that it is not now, nor has it ever been, all about YOU.

I made a commitment years ago – from the minute I saw a pea-brained, war-mongering, torture-loving, easily-led drunk installed in the White House – that whoever the Democratic nominee would be in the wake of eight years of war, famine, pestilence and death, he or she would have my support and my vote. I stand by that commitment.

I realize that because Barack Obama was my personal choice, I am perhaps more enthusiastic about his capabilities, and more prone to defend his positions – even though I may not personally agree with all of them.

But, as I stated at the outset, being a woman of a certain age, who has the maturity and experience that thankfully comes along with my advanced years, I will honor my commitment to stand by my man – who, by the way, is quite a remarkable man – and do everything in my power to ensure his presidency.

Barack Obama brung me to this dance – and I’m going home with him, all the way to the White House. And I’ll be damned if anyone is going to stand in my way – or his.

This election is about taking our country back. It’s about avoiding future disaster, preventing neocons from infiltrating our government, and undoing the incredible damage that’s been done to our nation’s citizens, our fellow world citizens, and our country’s standing in the world.

In light of that, I will not apologize for keeping my eye on the ultimate prize to the exclusion of all else, nor my commitment to the man who is better equipped and more determined to see to it that the aforementioned is accomplished than his opponent in this race.

It’s either Obama or McCain – them’s the choices, folks. Read ‘em and weep – or take heart and rejoice, as you see fit.

But don’t preach to me about your principles if you have to give THAT choice a second thought. Your alleged principles will never be more important than what's at stake in this election, and your egocentric whining about what you want will never be as important as what the country not only wants, but needs.