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I tend not to write about politics for a number of reasons, one because I never feel as informed about the subject as I wish I was and two, I think that arguments about politics are similar to arguments about religion: heated, emotional and full of pseudo facts, which once fully aired don't change anyone's opinion.

I talked to my sister on the phone the other day and she tentatively asked me who I was voting for. I was surprised she might doubt my support for Obama but the truth is that I've never said anything either way to her. This time I made it clear: I will vote for him. Obama gives me something I've been missing for many years now: a reason to hope. A reason for my jaded heart to believe in a better future.

I could write an entire post on how important it is to have a sense of hope and what it's like to live without it, but I bet there are at least a few of you who could write that post for me. I personally have been living without hope for my country ever since we elected George W and then stupidly started the war in Iraq. Until Obama I had no reason to believe that anything would change. Politics was totally ruined for me. All of the politicians looked and sounded the same. Hungry for power. Lacking a moral compass. Those few who were decent people lacked either common sense or a spine. I still vote (mostly) but I've been gradually checking out of the political process because nothing ever seems to change for the better.

But now I see: change is definitely coming.

For me it's a choice between change for the better and change for the worse. That's right, I don't actually buy the whole "more of the same" argument about the McCain/Palin ticket. I think if McCain wins it will get worse.

For the record I don't dislike McCain and I don't doubt his reputation as a war hero. Fighting and dying for our country is serious shit, no matter how stupid the cause we send our soldiers to confront, and the men and women who do this for us deserve our respect.

But I don't vote for war heroes as such. When it comes to running my country, I have other ideas about what makes a person qualified to lead and make decisions on our behalf. Being captured, tortured and held in prison is not even remotely one of them.

What matters to me? I want the person who leads our country to be smart. I want to feel confident that he/she is paying attention to and taking care of the right things, and not focusing on (and funneling money to) things that don't make a positive difference for the country. What's a positive difference? How about reducing our 9 trillion dollar debt. Or doing something about our 6% unemployment rate (and hey, perhaps we can deal with the rest of the economy while we're at it). Being protective and realistic about energy and the environment (please stop telling me that the answer is to Drill Drill Drill. I don't believe a word of it).   

I want a president who knows right from wrong. Someone who isn't afraid to say the word "genocide" when faced with obvious evidence of it.

I want a president who truly cares about people. Not in an abstract "I love the people" kind of way but in the way of tangible, pragmatic, let's get our people educated and fed and provided with decent health care. 

I want a president who behaves like a citizen of the world, not the boss of it.

I don't trust a member of the Keating Five, no matter how contrite, to make good decisions about where to allocate our money. I don’t trust the man who has no idea how much it costs to buy a gallon of milk. A man who would sell his soul to the evangelists just to become president.  And I certainly can't trust a war hero who, despite five years of evidence to the contrary, feels we can win in Iraq and that it's okay to send the army to live there for the next 100 years.

I'm tired of my country being led by rich old men who lie and cheat without batting an eye, all the while claiming to care about the future. Actions speak louder than words. It's time for something dramatically different. Before it's too late.

I want to be proud of my country again. I want to travel around the world and feel welcome. I want us to be heroes. Not because we can kick everyone else's ass ('cause you know, it's getting a lot harder for us to do that these days), but because we are the people who do the right thing.

Xav and I were married in France almost 24 years ago. At our wedding his grandparents presented my grandfather with a special coin to thank him for his role as an engineer (actually a pretty dangerous job) in World War II. That week, every single person in the village treated him like a hero. Their sense of gratitude and appreciation was so heartfelt and genuine. It made me even more proud of him  - and of my country.

I want to feel proud like that again.

I want to be one of the good guys.

I believe Obama can do that.