One Choice: Obama

By Virginia Hope

In college I was a Republican.  Worse, I was the secretary for the College Republicans.  I’ve been thinking back on these days and feeling shame.  When I think about it, though, I was mostly just politically unaware.  I became a Republican because I was pro-life.  I thought that getting involved in politics would be a good thing, so I joined the College Republicans.  I thought holding an office would look good on a resume, so I became secretary (not sure if I was actually elected – kind of like the 2000 presidential race).  I had a grand old time poking fun at Bill Clinton and shaking my head at the “liberal media.”  And then I woke up.  Or rather, one of my professors woke me up.  One day my name was called at a campus event, and a short bio was read.  It mentioned my secretarial position.  Afterwards, I was chatting with one of my professors.  He asked me, “Do you consider yourself politically conservative?”  I didn’t really have an answer for him.  He said, “Let me know in ten years if you’ve changed your mind.”  I think I was a registered Democrat within a year. 

It’s about 8 years later, and I’ve lately been reflecting my odyssey in political awareness.  I care now, so deeply, about the direction this country is headed.  In 2004, I watched Barack Obama remind us, with such passion, that we are the United States of America.  That’s when it started.  Now, I check the polls 5 to 10 times a day.  I watch CNN and MSNBC.  I read political blogs.  And, as my husband was delighted to notice, I pick up Time before Entertainment Weekly.  I can no longer afford to be politically unaware.  None of us can. 

I’ve also been thinking about the reasons that some young people are so often misguided when it comes to politics.  If you’re 15 or 18 or 20, and in school, you’re probably not thinking too much about health insurance or the housing market or groceries or gas.  So, you turn to the bigger issues.  Abortion.  Patriotism.  Family Values. God.  But then comes the real responsibility.  You graduate, start paying bills, worrying about health insurance, and then (to paraphrase Obama) politics becomes personal. 

I’m still pro-life.  I think life begins at conception.  But I have no way of proving that to everyone in this country.  More importantly, I think that all the “bigger issues,” are much more complicated than they once seemed.  And Democrats and Republicans see eye to eye more than they want to admit. I was so impressed when Barack mentioned a new focus on preventing unwanted pregnancies.  Isn’t that something we can all agree on?  If someone asked me in college if I considered myself a political junkie, I would have had an answer.  Nope.  But now I wear that label with pride.  I’m aware now — and full of hope.  Thank you, Barack Obama.