I read a post from another member who appears to be on the fence about supporting Barack Obama for President and asked RFO members to express why support Obama other than as a vote against McCain. This request prompted me to comment on the reasons I am supporting Barack Obama for POTUS.

I am not creating this thread to be used as a forum for point counter point to my positions so do not expect a response from me should you argue against my positions. I already have engaged in such debates numerous times on other threads and will continue to do so.

If you do add to the thread, I ask you to articulate the reasons you support Barack Obama and not to include points against McCain. There is plenty of that going on in other threads.

Why I am voting for Barack Obama:

Barack Obama inspires me. This may sound naïve to some but every time I watch him speak, his message of hope and a better America lifts my spirit. He describes a vision of America that I relate to. The sincerity I hear in his voice when describing his vision for America moves me. I have watched him closely for the past 18 months and his strong belief in America continues to shine through. I believe he loves America deeply and will do everything he can to help the country. I truly believe he will put the country and the American people first before himself.

I admire his life story. He is the epitome of the American dream. I can only imagine the struggles he has faced and the dedication and hard work it has taken to get where he is today. He had to over come many obstacles in his life that I think has strengthened his character. From such humble beginnings and through hard work and determination he became President of the Harvard Law Review and graduated with honors.

After graduating, he gave back instead of running off to get his. Since then his career has been focused on helping others. From community organizer to civil rights attorney to educator and senator he has dedicated himself to helping other Americans achieve their American dream.

He is a good family man with strong morals. I see his love and pride for Michelle and his daughters in the way he talks about them, defends them, and interacts with them on the campaign trail. I like that he takes time off during the campaign to be with them. A resent example is that he was there for his daughters first day at school. I know this does not get much press but he frequently mentions them during town hall meetings and I like that.

I think he is a stand up guy in the way he runs against his opponents. He limits his attacks to the issues and no matter how much he is attacked on a personal level by his opponents; he always defends their character and defends them when their families are attacked. I am sure this has not been easy for him given all the smears cast against him and Michelle but he always takes the high road. I really hope this continues no matter how ugly the other side attacks him personally, because it just strengthens my support for him.

I think this strength of character will serve the American people well. I think America is facing difficult times ahead and when Barack Obama speaks to the American people, I think he will tell the truth about the situation and present a plan to help the country.

I support his position to get America out of Iraq in a measured responsible way. I also support his position on using diplomacy first and the military as a last resort and I believe he will not hesitate to use force when necessary and I trust his judgment when deciding when force will be used. I think he will help restore America's standing in the world especially with our allies.

I like his support for veterans and his speaking out for veterans on the campaign trail and the policies he has proposed in support of our troops.

I like that he will hold discussions about health care on c-span. This appeals to me because it is an issue that affects all Americans and his plan to bring all parties together to come up with a solution is important. To include the American people in this discussion is important to me.

I like that he is proposing to reinstate the pay-go rules in Washington and talks frequently on the trail about bringing fiscal discipline back. I agree with his desire to go through the budget line item by line item looking for ways to eliminate wasteful spending.

I like his plans for reducing America's dependence on foreign oil. To me his approach is very pragmatic. He is open to any ideas that will help and is willing to lead the country in a new direction regarding energy.

I agree with his plans to restructure regulations regarding wall street and banking. I think he firmly believes in the free market, trade, and capitalism but wants to adjust the current system. The University of Chicago is recognized as a leading institution on economics and he is employing talented economic advisors that range from left to right of center. I think this is a good thing and shows his willingness to listen to different schools of thought on the topic. The Universities economic department was the launching point of Reagan's economic policy with many faculty arguing against Roosevelt's new deal programs. His current advisor thinks that there is unbalance in the system but believes more education is part of the solution which is supported by Alan Greenspan. Other advisors include members who support Freidman's economic theory. I think between them they will implement economic policy along the lines of Freidman's school of thought but with an emphasis on education and an adjustment to current regulations that has caused much of the financial imbalance that we are seeing today. Obama is also supported by hedge fund managers that fall on either side of the argument and given that support I think they have confidence in the policies he will enact.

I also agree with his position on trade. From what I have learned, he does not want to go into a protectionist mode but does want to strengthen America's trade agreements to better protect American workers and manufacturing.

I agree with his desire to invest in education and his position that whichever country out educates us will out compete us in the future. I agree with his policy to increase support for math and science education and policies to help more Americans to attend college. I think this is critical to America's future.

I have no problem with his desire to raise capital gains tax to 20% and to restructure the capital gains tax code to act as an incentive for new businesses. I think the current tax code and lack of regulation in the mortgage financial markets has over emphasized investment in real estate and not new business. I plan to elaborate more on this topic but will do so on another thread.

I really want him to hold to his promise to make Washington more accountable to the people. I agree with his stance against special interest groups and like that his funding comes from the people and that he rejects donations from PACs and lobbyist. I think he will work hard to make government more transparent and accountable when in office.

Lastly, I truly believe that Barack Obama is looking for ways to bring people together in a bi-partisan way to try to solve the pressing issues America faces. I like that he has a track record of working with Republican's in the senate to get things done including working with Tom Coburn and Richard Lugar on past legislation. I also like his resent trip to the Middle East with Chuck Hagel. Obama has mentioned many times taking Lincoln's approach when building his cabinet. I think he will include Republican's in his cabinet.

So there you go. My reasons for supporting Barack Obama for President. I may have omitted an item or two but this is enough for me. I did not mention the areas that I disagree with Barack Obama on, and I do disagree with some of his positions, but that was not the purpose of this thread.

You are welcome to add your own reasons for supporting Barack Obama for President but I ask again that you keep it to support and not a posting against McCain.

I thank you for taking the time to read this and I wish you all future success.

FC