Saturday, June 14, 2008

NObama?

Ok, so I think it's about time for an election post. As you may know, I was born an American citizen due to my mother being American, and despite having grown up overseas, the U.S. is where my heart is, and the country where I feel most at home. I'm also turning eighteen in October, so, come the November general elections, I will be proudly utilizing my first vote. Now, I have been, probably predictably, a devoted Clinton supporter since day one; I got up at six in the morning after Super Tuesday to get the results (cross-Atlantic time-difference), and cried with joy when I saw how well she'd done; I watched every speech; tried and failed to donate (because some campaigns, unlike Obama's, won't accept donations from under eighteens); watched every day as the delegates rose and fell; and finally cried with anger and sadness when Hillary was left no option but to drop out.

The dilemma I'm left with now, other than the terrifying prospect of either a bloodthirsty Republican or an inept, puerile "orator " as the next President of one of the most powerful countries in the World, is what to do with my precious first vote. Do I actively vote in a candidate who I don't have faith in? Or do I withhold my treasured suffrage?

My thoughts at the moment are currently with the conglomeration of organizations and petitions which are still fighting either for the DNC to count the wrongly attributed votes and fix this mess, or for Hillary Clinton to run independently of the Democratic Party. Let's hope that democracy can hold, and we can remedy this dire situation.