We here at The Broken West HQ (or more specifically, me, Ross) rarely -- if ever -- get all political on your ass. Generally speaking, we're too busy writing songs, jamming out, drinking beers, and eating tacos to take time to be all preachy. But now's the time to speak out. I urge ALL of you who read this blog (and, admittedly, "ALL", I know really just means my mom and maybe a couple of other dudes) to step up and be on the right side of history -- and by "the right side of history", I mean supporting Barack Obama. Now, if the handful of you who do read this blog happen to live in VIRGINIA, MARYLAND, D.C., WISCONSIN, HAWAII, RHODE ISLAND or TEEEEEXXXXASSS or OOOOHHHHIIIIOOOO AND you're a DEMOCRAT, get out there and vote for Mr. Obama.
I am and always have been a HUGE political junkie, which means I'm fascinated by and deeply cynical of nearly all presidential candidates. Until Obama. Never in my life have I been as inspired by a political figure. Bill Clinton is, admittedly, a fantastic politician, and his tenure in office really seems like the salad days compared to recent times. However, he is ultimately a huge douchebag and a phony -- as good of a speaker as he is, I always sensed the bullshit right below the surface. (This Frank Rich piece from the NY Times this weekend is worth reading to get a sense of how far the Clintons will go -- just how much they're willing to destroy -- to ensure victory.)
There's none of that with Barack. I damn near welled up with tears watching his speech after he won the Iowa caucuses. I'm no historian, but it seems there have been 3 truly transformative Presidents in the last 70 years (regardless of how you feel about their politics): FDR, JFK, and Reagan. Which is to say, these were leaders who seemed to transcend the humdrum of political machinery and give people a sense of hope and optimism about America. I believe Obama could and will join their ranks. (Interestingly, these guys seem to come ever 20 years or so.)
I really feel in my gut that Obama is, to quote Sam Elliott in The Big Lebowski, the man for his time and place. I truly believe he's the only person who can make the changes we need to get our country back on track, to begin to reverse the myriad bad decisions Bush has made over the last 8 years. That's why I'm writing this.
Whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, and no matter where you live, take a good, hard look at this man. Guys like him don't come around very often.
