Why am I an Obama delegate?

            I spent most of my coming-to-age years in Utah, a state that’s as red as they come.  I grew up in a household that listened to Rush Limbaugh; my father served in the Air Force until he retired with a rank of Captain.  Until I moved out on my own, I saw the worries of a military family:  military cutbacks, the size of military bases being reduced, and people being asked to take early retirement.  I recall hearing how Bill Clinton kept on using our stockpile of cruise missiles in Iraq without replacing them.  My family wasn’t Republican because of religious reasons; it was all about the military and economics.  I used to be one of them.  I had a Dole / Kemp sign in my bedroom when I was 17.  The other party isn’t evil… both parties need to remember this.  We all have different ideals, morals, and goals in life.  We all need to work harder to get along and find common ground.

            After graduating from high school and venturing out into the world on my own, my values started to shift.  Over the course of the years, I started to understand how hard it could be to just get by in life.  I saw how little of a societal safety net our country actually had.  It steadily became more apparent to me that the less you started out with, the harder it was to accomplish the American Dream.  There will always be people that buck the trend and persevere no matter what, but just look at all the kids being left behind, the friends and family that have fallen to addiction, and those that have to choose between barely covering their bills and having medical coverage.

            Until now, I spent all of my adult years losing my faith in politicians.  While living in Utah, my vote for president was never going to make a difference because I was voting blue, while the state was Red.  I saw the Democratic party in Utah rarely being able to put up a fight.  The national political landscape seemed rife with corruption and broken promises.  I started to think that all politicians were the same…  we were screwed no matter who we voted for.  During election years, most Democrats wouldn’t show their party logo on their campaign sign, yet the Republicans proudly displayed the GOP elephant.  I’ve seen many Democrats who flirted with shades of Red, afraid that showing their true colors would make them unelectable.  Over the years, the party appeared to be shifting to the right.

            Now, in steps Barack Obama.  I had been listening to his senate podcast way before he began toying with running for President.  If Al Gore couldn’t be convinced to run, this man definitely should.  Time passed, his popularity grew, his announcement to run hit the airwaves, and eventually his stop in Washington state before the Democratic caucus.  Barack Obama has inspired me to truly care again.  The man has such an aura of sincerity and a desire to bring us back into the game.  Obama inspires people much more than the many years of “Rock The Vote” I’ve lived through.  He has awakened hordes of people who are disillusioned with politics.  We want to help him change the system for the better.  Since his visit, I participated in my first caucus / primary, I joined the Democratic party, and I have become a delegate.  He inspired me to start caring again… I’m not the only one.

            My delegate vote for him will not change.  It is my intention to take my vote all the way to the national convention.  I’m a blogger and a photographer who intends to show everyone the experience of participating in the democratic process.  I will advocate for Obama, as I’ve convinced several around me that he’s the right man for the job.  We will take back the White House and we will bring many new faces to the party.  We truly have a chance to change things, and we will.  Yes we can.

Robert Kangas (11^th LD, WA)
Robert@digitalsingularity.com