By Doug Long Rio Rancho, N.M.
At last the Democratic primaries are over. And for the first time in my 36 years as a voter, we have a presidential candidate with whom I’m really satisfied. We finally have a candidate who can lead and who can bring most of us together. It’s good to feel enthusiastic about a presidential candidate for a change.
I think we’re ready for the usual fears and smears from the right-wing mud machine. Even its current beneficiary, John McCain, was its victim in the 2000 campaign. And we will have to endure more distractions from the issues that are actually important to America. I hope we’ve seen enough of these tactics so that we aren’t fooled by the hoopla.
At last we have a legitimate hope that there is a candidate who can lead our country out of the economic and foreign policy mess that the Bush Administration, with John McCain’s help, has created. McCain has a lot of experience at dragging us in the wrong direction.
I am especially encouraged because [U.S. Sen. Barack] Obama is an inspiration to our youth. Obama can unite us and make America stronger because of his ability to inspire us all.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 7, 2008. Read the original PDF.