Love is not about the profits, nor the riches in your dreams. The arms of time are breaking off. Civilization is on trial. The clock's eliminating time. Do you believe in me?"
~Serj Tankian~

Out of the many candidates that are running for presidency this year, I have to sadly say that I'm not very impressed by this line-up for some odd reason. Sure, we have two highly qualified Democrats in the race. One speaks of a revolution in our government, country, and world. The other hides diligently behind her husband's experience, claiming that she has the ability to handle whatever the fading world has to throw at us.
The news has been obsessively following the paths of the Democratic hopefuls as if they are gods of an ancient time that we had long since forgotten. The Republican race has been virtually ignored (that's a good thing!), and all eyes have been watching history unfolding as the dramatis personae assume their roles. By November, we could either have one of three things: more sorrow for the world (McCain), a female president (Clinton), or an African American president (Obama). Since I am about to turn 18 in the upcoming months, I have been paying a lot of attention to the issues of each candidate. Since Ornery is part of my name, one can only assume that I am no friend of the Republican Party- I have distrusted them for as long as I can remember due to their treatment of the poor, their strict, conservative viewpoints(almost border lining on fascist...how scary a life that must be...), and blatant disregard for their actions, as exemplified by the Bush administration's disdain for accountability. For a notorious humanitarian, liberal, and social protester as myself, one can already assume that my choice of vote is already leaning toward the Democrats, namely Barrack Obama, whom I am a big supporter of.
In my sleepy little hometown in the hills of Tennessee , I choose to not voice my opinion of who I feel is best to run the country. Many people in my hometown have an inherited sense of thick-headed stupor, and therefore, cannot understand why Obama is even running. Irritatingly enough and even somewhat immaturely, the vote in this area is not swaying in his favor because his name rhymes with "Osama". Once it is heard that someone is voting in support of his wishes for change, people are bullied relentlessly for their choice. Tsk, tsk....
To continue, I must give a mature and reasonable explanation for my decision. One, Sen. Obama has said in previous debates that he wanted to do something about helping the environment. This means that he will definitely reconsider signing the Kyoto Treaty- a move that President Bush has refused to do out of a fear that "going green" will only damage the economy. Experts, however, disagree with his claims, saying that the turnover to the "green market" will successfully create more jobs in struggling communities and therefore, will usher more revenue into the city and county governments. This movement, in turn, will make everyone happy on both sides: the environment will be given some well-needed time to heal itself from our errors, and new jobs will be created.

Second, he wants a significant change in how America is ran by political powers. This issue isn't surprising, since the Bush Administration was a complete failure on more levels than one: security of our homeland, economy, the War in Iraq, the Patriot Act(Seriously, how can a girl shop at Cabela's anymore?), the treatment of Hurricane Katrina survivors, utter stupidity of our own leadership, as well as countless other misjudgments in his uh....career. Obama, unlike the other candidates, is more open about his past mistakes, and is willing to admit that underneath his political title, he is an average working man with individual strengths and weaknesses. This practice is rarely seen in politics, for this often causes a quick and painless death in the lifespan of a presidential candidate. I believe this is a rather promising effort on his part because as the old saying goes...."I'd rather be an open sinner than a false saint." At least Mr. Obama admitted to his past drug use, unlike a certain candidate who literally dumps his addiction(or even senility) on everyone like a ton of bricks, or even Bill Clinton, whose half-hearted attempt at covering up his tracks made a nation cringe in embarrassment-"I did not inhale!" The honesty he shows us all will reflect his duties if he were to be elected president-if there was something he was going to carry out, he would openly tell us. If he screws up, he'll admit it. If-God forbid it happens again-another terrorist attack was to occur, he would be there to hold our hands and lead us out. That's something we need right now.

Finally, I am impressed by his personality. To say the least, my first impressions of both Hillary Clinton and John McCain were very much the same: I fear them. Both are cold hearted, forceful, self-centered, and greedy, and they lack the warmth that our country needs in this time of healing. The Bush Administration has emotionally bruised our nation for nearly 8 years straight. Our economy is virtually destroyed, gas prices are still high, and optimism in its ability has long since vanished. For years, we were ruled by our fears of terrorism and our sadness felt by 9/11. We were cheated, exploited, and taken advantage of for those above reasons, and only electing one of the two individuals I mentioned earlier will only embrace the torch they've been given. They too will make the same mistakes. On the other hand, however, Obama is the foil of the other two candidates. He doesn't see the world in a clouded judgment like McCain or Clinton does. He sees it clearly with an open mind and heart. He loves us as if we were his own children, he cares for us unconditionally-something that other politicians have not done since the reigns of Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. We need someone who can help us heal our previous wounds-to help us learn how to trust again. In a sense, the U.S. is like...a mistreated dog. If someone were to try to pet it or even get close, the dog will simply flee. However, if someone with a loving, open heart tries to regain the dog's trust, eventually, it will learn how to once again, see humans as companions. And such is our case- I honestly feel that he could do this for us. Since many of you know that I have the strange ability to feel certain energies within life forms in nature, I have actually felt a certain energy radiating inside of him: His heart and mind radiate with a certain warmth. I also felt that he was a good, honest man who feels strongly for his cause for righting the wrongs of previous administrations. Say all you want, but that's my choice. Once an Ornery makes up their mind, it can never be swayed or resolved.

As a parting note, I would like to ask everyone in cyberspace to do something for me. On November 4, do the right thing and VOTE! I don't care what political party you are, but if you don't want another screw-up for a leader, it would be best to make the right decision.

For a final thought (anyone can answer my question, if they'd like): What if John Kerry was elected president 4 years ago? What would the world be like today?

If I don't see you sooner, see you later.