As a first time voter, I couldn't be more proud of my candidate

[Ava]

or more hopeful for the future of this great nation. We've had a rough past 8 years, and I've grown up during that time. I just turned 18 last week, and was excited to get my voter ID card in the mail. This campaign has been inspiring from the start. Friends of mine who were never interested in politics before started reading the news and keeping up with the issues. I've seen houses in my small Alabama town with Obama signs, and I've seen pick-up trucks with rebel flags that have Obama bumper stickers.


Tonight I cried watching Obama's special. Part of the reason I cried was because of the touching stories of average Americans struggling to get by during this economic crisis. I think the biggest reason I cried though, is because while this campaign has had a slogan of "yes we can" in reality it is "yes we MUST." We absolutely must elect obama, because if not things are either going to stay the same or get worse. The struggling retired couple, the single Mom with two kids, the Dad that works in a factory and has had his hours cut back, and the middle-class Mom that carries her kids to school and football practice while worrying about paying the bills that we saw tonight shouldn't have to suffer anymore... America shouldn't have to suffer anymore. Tonight I cried because I have hope in this country and in our candidate. Hope won't win this election though, and we MUST make sure to cast our votes and encourage our family members to not stay home on election day.. to get out and vote.

So I'll be casting my first vote next week, along with many other young people. This time we cannot let our candidate down.. we cannot let our country down.