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I remember the first time I heard the name Barack Obama. I was in Wildwood, NJ, vacationing with my family in August 2004. It happened to be the same week as the DNC - so my husband and I would make sure that we got back to our hotel room by 10pm to watch the speeches. I was tucking my kids into bed when I heard the most beautiful words being spoken - it was a message of hope; of a better way; of bringing America back to what it once used to be. I walked over to the TV and asked my husband who this man is - and I remember his answer: "I didn't catch his name. He's a senator from Illinois". After his absolutely breathtaking speech, I said "If we are ever to see a black president in our lifetimes, we're looking at him. He's the one."
Four years later, and here we are. As a South Jersey resident to neighboring Wilmington, Delaware, I've known of Senator Joe Biden most of my life. He has been a familiar face to anybody who lives in the tri-state region. He's always been known as a "regular guy"; a "people person"; a man who sticks up for the middle class. So not only was I awed by the fact that America spoke up and voiced its collective support for Barack Obama, but also by Senator Obama's choice for running mate. To me, it is a dream team for change - or to better define it, for getting America back to what it once was.
Watching Joe Biden speak of his experiences overseas, and hearing Obama's speech in Germany, only validated my feelings. They are both passionate, well-spoken men, who voice their concerns not only for America, but for the entire globe. They're intelligent and well-read in the various issues that need to be addressed and reckoned with. People around the world have embraced these two men and are as hopeful as we are, that they will soon be taking over the White House - digging in and getting to work on getting America, and the rest of the world, effectively back on track.
Sometimes when I watch coverage of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, together with their wives, I get tears in my eyes and feel hope in my heart. I worked on the Kerry/Edwards campaign, but didn't feel the same level of hope as I do today. But then I remember what happened in November 2004. And November 2000.
Not just one, but TWO stolen elections. Pregnant chads. Hanging chads. Missing ballots. Voters turned away. Diebold errors. Broken voting machines. While there are congressmen who are working to remedy this problem, results aren't happening quickly enough. They are still finding glitches in Diebold; ballots are missing in Florida. We've had years to correct this, and yet we're still being told that the problems exist.
And then I watch the media, and how they spin every interview and speech. I see the polls and wonder if it's true that there are THAT many people who are really stupid enough to think McCain is going to take care of us - or if it's what we've become all-too-familiar with: "Rovian tactics".
Oh, but I want to believe that in a few short months, we will have President Obama and Vice President Biden working hard for us Americans. I truly believe that they want the job - and that they will do it well; but because of recent history, I find myself thinking of that old adage....."Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst".
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