I voted for Barack Obama. I sent in my Absentee Ballot the night of the 2nd Presidential Debate between he and Senator McCain. Since the reality is that we live in a two party system and if I want to make change I see that you have to go a bit mainstream and have done so this round. So of the two major candidates I can certainly say that Barack Obama is my choice. He is an intellectual and this is apparent. He seems to take the high ground and looks out for the middle class that has been totally beaten down in the last few years.

He embodies the “American Dream” with all odds against him, yet he has been able to get to this point and I am cheering him on to continue. Can you imagine having the name Barack Obama growing up in school? Kids are ruthless and cruel, we all know this is the truth, and it is much easier to pick on the one that doesn’t fit in than to pick on our own crowd… I imagine that Barack Obama has faced a lot of ridicule over things that he could not change in his life. Along with that he is was born to a white mother and black foreign father, who left his life at an early age. All odds were against him. Living abroad with his mother for a short time when he was young and then returning to Hawaii to be raised by his grandparents must have been hard. He has had to face adversity in every aspect. His family didn’t have much money, they even had to rely on the government at one point in order to make it through tough times. Dispite all of this, he rose above and realized that he could change his life and his situation, so he did.

He worked his way up to the Ivy League graduating from Columbia University and then Harvard Law School. Along the way he used scholarships and loans to pay for his education, like most of us have to. He became the first black President of the Harvard Law Review. After graduating he wrote a book and then decided to move to South Chicago to work for the people, creating jobs and opportunities, revitalizing the area. He taught at University of Illinois as well, another major feat. Then came his US Senate career, short as it may be, but then had the guts and the drive to run for President of the United States. He has let nothing hold him back, in fact it seems as though it has made him stronger in a variety of ways. He has faced adversity and has pushed forward to get to this point. I believe in someone who has this much drive and will to succeed.

A natural born leader, he spreads inspiration and hope. He is a motivator and can see the big picture. He understands what America is about now, where we have been and where we should go. He has had quite a life which has shaped him to be who he is today. I want someone like that, who has exposure, breadth and depth to lead our great nation. The time for change is now.