The Right Change

Barack Obama has clinched the Democratic nomination. So now we know that either McCain or Obama will be the next President of the United States. But how do we decide? Everyone keeps talking about change but that could really mean little or a lot. It could mean anything -- or nothing at all. Change. That word is overused and way too ambiguous.

Although he didn't provide his definition, I liked what John McCain said about change yesterday. ". . . the direction of this country is going to change dramatically. But the choice is between the right change and the wrong change, between going forward and going backward," What is right change?

Voting for President is more than deciding on the best man for the job. It is deciding on the best man for doing the job of making the right change. I realize that is not a black and white, "no-brainer" (like I think I used to believe) but rather a very individual decision. Proper change for you may be completely improper for me.

So, as an individual, I will vote for the best man to do the job of:
1. handling the delicate situation of sensibly bringing our troops home.
2. turning our economy around.
3. appointing conservative judges to the Supreme Court.

These aren't my only issues but they are important ones. Although John McCain was not my choice among Republicans nominees, against Barack Obama – he gets my vote without much question.

Of course others will vote for the best man for the job of doing just the opposite of what I’ve listed because those are the issues most important to them. And that’s fine with me. That's the way democracy is supposed to work.

Because of this historic race in which for the first time, a Black man is the Democratic nominee, there will be those who vote strictly along color lines. Some will vote for Barack Obama simply because he is Black and others will vote for John McCain simply because he is not. We can't ignore that race will be the primary issue for many.

As we move toward November each of us should be honest with ourselves as we determine to whom our votes should go. Will we vote based on race, issues, tradition or something else? What does "right change" mean to you?