join me

Indulge my rambling off-topic for a few minutes, as I talk about politics [gasp!].

In a family of political junkies, I have always been the one to sit mute at the dining room table when political arguments are being waged around me. To my mind, politics was murky and mucky, a mean nasty ugly mess that I steered well clear of.

Cynical, disenchanted, lazy. I have been all of these things, to the discredit both of me and the political environment of the era that I grew up in. I honestly have never believed that the issues that I care about would be properly addressed in the political arena, and I found the antagonism and finger-pointing of political debate abhorrent.

But this year I have great reason to hope. And while I think both of the remaining Democratic candidates would be strong leaders and I, as a woman, would love to have a Madam President, I believe that Barack Obama offers the kind of leadership that we need now. A leadership that will inspire us to look past our differences and work together to build the kind of America we want to be.

His clear, honest voice calls for unity:

We are told that those who differ from us on a few things are different from us on all things; that our problems are the fault of those who don't think like us or look like us or come from where we do. The welfare queen is taking our tax money. The immigrant is taking our jobs. The believer condemns the non-believer as immoral, and the non-believer chides the believer as intolerant.

...So let us say that on this day of all days, each of us carries with us the task of changing our hearts and minds. The division, the stereotypes, the scape-goating, the ease with which we blame our plight on others - all of this distracts us from the common challenges we face - war and poverty; injustice and inequality. We can no longer afford to build ourselves up by tearing someone else down. We can no longer afford to traffic in lies or fear or hate. It is the poison that we must purge from our politics; the wall that we must tear down before the hour grows too late.
[from the Jan 20 speech in Atlanta, GA]

Particularly appealing to me has been his call to service:

Today, it's easy for us to get caught thinking that there are two different stories at work in our lives. There is the story of our day to day cares and responsibilities. And there is the story of what's happening in the wider world - a story viewed through headlines and websites, a destiny to be shaped by forces beyond our control.

I am here today to ask you to reject this notion, and to invite you to take hold of the future of your country. Because your own story and the American story are not separate - they are shared. And they will both be enriched if we stand up together, and answer a new call to service to meet the challenges of our new century.

...We need your service, right now, in this moment - our moment - in history. I'm not going to tell you what your role should be; that's for you to discover. But I am going to ask you to play your part; ask you to stand up; ask you to put your foot firmly into the current of history. I am askingyou to change history's course. And if I have the fortune to be your President, decades from now - when the memory of this or that policy has faded, and when the words that we will speak in the next few years are long forgotten - I hope you remember this as a moment when your own story and the American story came together, and history bent once more in the direction of justice.
[from the Dec 5 speech in Mt. Vernon, IA. I encourage you to read the entire speech to learn about his specific plans for increasing the number of Americans involved in service.]

It's about more than policy changes. It's about a sea change in attitude among the American people. He's asking us to step up, pitch in, and work together to transform our country. He has inspired me to think about how I can engage more in my community, how I can serve others, and what role I will play in the future of my country. I am proud to be inspired by him. Imagine what kind of change we might see if he were given the chance to inspire the whole country as President?

I invite you to join me in supporting Barack Obama. This crafting community is an extraordinary group of thoughtful, hard-working, strong women. I think his message will resonate with you as it has with me.

If you live in a state that is voting on Tuesday, I implore you to get out and vote. Volunteer on the ground to get others out too. And no matter where you live in the country, you can easily take action through Obama's website. I am planning on volunteering by phonebanking from my home this weekend, and I hope you'll join me.

You can also easily and quickly donate to a fundraising campaign I have set up. My campaign, Crafters for Obama, has a goal of $2000. Help me meet this goal. In this month alone, Obama's campaign has received contributions from more than 249,000 people, 90% of whom have contributed less than $100. Help us keep the momentum of this grassroots movement.

And when you're ready to support Barack, won't you add the "Crafters for Obama" button to your blog to show your support? It's in the top right column, and I invite you to display it proudly on your blog.

I have great reason to hope. Instead of a politics of murk and muck, I see a path, however winding and long it might be, that can lead us toward renewal and hope. I want our country to be on that path.

I'd love to hear your opinions too, even if you don't agree with me.