Why I am voting for President Obama -

*I trust President Obama; I don't always agree with him, but I know who he is, and his values are a close match to mine. I am at peace with my trust of President Obama.

*Obama is not Romney!

*I believe that President Obama understands the nature of compromise as a tenet of government. He is willing to compromise – which creates the necessary functionality.

*I believe that President Obama is a champion of the middle-class, that our best programs protect the interests of the middle-class, and that he strives to protect those programs. That he “gets” that the middle-class is the essence of Americanism and without a thriving middle-class there are serfs and lords and an eminent undoing (as history proves). I would like to have a discussion with him regarding world-wide middle-class – with a power to control corporations – as the key to world peace.

*I believe that President Obama “gets” that the responsibility to be “our brother's keeper” is the essence of morality, of civilization. My hero, Margaret Mead, believed that humans beings, as part of a greater biological whole, have a responsibility to everyone else on the planet. I believe that President Obama sees this responsibility as daunting, but as possible, a work in progress.

*President Obama sees “the level playing field” as fair, and the essence of democracy as being an enduring quest to be fair. (It makes me angry that the so-called 1% pay a lower percentage of taxes than I do. What the . . ?)

*I believe that President Obama knows (as we all know) that the billion dollar corporations are really the ones in charge of earth, and that government and boycott are ways to regulate and control them to the good. Government must have more power than the amoral corporations which are driven by profit and, sadly, greed. (I believe that government can truly represent the people “in the best of all possible worlds.”)

*I believe that President Obama “gets” that the middle-class has created the wealth of this nation, and that they should treat themselves to rewarding lives, and that the wealthy should regard and support the middle-class as heroes.

*We are a nation of immigrants – either thousands or hundreds of years ago. We are strong as a result of the sacrifices and endurance that coming to a strange land has required. This, I believe, and I know that President Obama is in touch.

*I am sorry, but even though I believe that abortion is wrong and a ghastly alternative, I agree with President Obama that government has no part in the deeply-private lives of its citizens. The way to control abortion is through education and the offer of compassionate alternatives.

*I believe in universal health care as a priority and as a way to control health care costs.

*As do most Americans, I believe in civil rights – even to women! Absolutely abhorrent are those who give lip service, but, secretly are racist and/or sexist.

*I agree with most Americans that the debt problem must be solved, but unlike most, I believe that it can be solved – as does President Obama. Hey! We do have the revenue. Yes, taxes are as blessed as free enterprise. I am a proud to be a tax-payer, and I am pragmatic enough to support free enterprise. Most folks believe that the tax code needs to be revamped. Sure! What of the capital gains loophole?

*I believe that in light of an obstructionist congress, President Obama has done an excellent job protecting us and preventing a depression. In my opinion, the bailouts protected middle-class pensions – which was more important than punishing the irresponsible bad guys.

*Obama is not a “hawk,” and although the use of drones confuses me, I must acknowledge that war is war (as ugly as it is) and that as John Lyly in his Euphues said in 1578: All is fair . . . in war,” since winning is the only goal – even if it takes the innocent. How terrible! Such is the nature of war. Prevent war! Obama's voting record and his work as our president has proven that war is a last resort for him. (My hat off to Hillary Clinton, and to President Obama for recognizing her excellence.)

* I believe that, like me, President Obama regards Government and free enterprise as merely human institutions. I do not believe that there are any divine institutions, and to expect anything more than human is a belief that can be torturous to mind and spirit. It takes courage to acknowledge that all institutions suffer from humanness.

Therefore, government, as an institution, suffers from the same foibles and evils of human nature – and so does free enterprise (and how!). My understanding of human nature helps me understand all human institutions, and since I am human, it humbles me and motivates me to contribute to the aspects that I perceive as most noble. I believe that President Obama would understand my belief.

However, I understand humans to function on a spectrum with truth to self and love being at the “high” end, and aspiration and the struggle to achieve this, as being the ultimate human “opus.” My father once told me that if I understood that people can be as good as they can be evil, and that if I did not forget that obvious truth, I would be happy; it is the price that free will exacts from us. I say, that it is in our nature to strive for perfection, but we must be at peace with the fact that perfection is elusive. It is our great suffering – and a mystery. To live free of angst takes faith. Ultimately, we must look to ourselves to find truth and love – and God.

PS: If you are so-inclined, share this on-line and otherwise.