I Used To Be Conservative...

I know, the title will probably shock you. Though I was quite young to have a political opinion in 2000, I would probably have been as conservative if not more so than my parents. Bush v. Gore wasn't really a question to me. Here's why.

In 2000, even in my adolescent mind, the GOP and particularly George Bush stood as a party that was willing to stake its political agenda along the lines of morality. This stood in stark contrast to the circus of scandals that paraded through the Clinton administration. In addition, George Bush advocated tax cuts louder than Gore did. Therefore, in my head, Bush was better than Gore because he was farther from Clinton than Gore was.

By 2004 my political mind was developing a little more. Bush wasn't my sure fire choice even though I still would have called myself a Republican at this point. I, like many in the country, had rallied passionately behind the flag in the aftermath of 9/11 and the outset of the War in Afghanistan. However, I was skeptical of our involvement in Iraq, and I was disgusted by the way the issue of gay marriage had been used to agitate the evangelical base and scatter the Democratic coalition. However, Kerry had always seemed like he was taking potshots at the incumbent Bush, which left him seeming whiny. In addition, Bush's tactics against terrorism seemed to be working at this point, and I figured that if we were in Iraq it must be because the government knew things that they would share as soon as the threat had been removed. By the slimmest of margins in my own head, I was slightly relieved when Bush was re-elected.

However, by late 2005, I had all but had it with the Republicans. It seemed to me that something must have been amiss for Bush to fire such an American hero like Colin Powell when things still seemed to be going well. Soon, scandals involving Scooter Libby, Karl Rove, and Mark Foley eroded my faith in the "moral" nature of the Republican Party. In addition, the Iraq War started to plunge downhill and the War and Afghanistan was all but abandoned. We couldn't find Osama, we couldn't bring the troops home, and the budget deficit was ballooning out of control. In addition, our president who once just seemed like a poor speaker took it to the next level with verbal gaffes and minor international incidents (PASS on the shoulder rubs W!). When I turned 18, I went and joined the Libertarian Party instead

Needless to say, I was delighted to see the Democrats surge through the House and split the Senate in 2006. I clapped when Nancy Pelosi was named Speaker. I cheered when the Democratic Party started to gain footing for the 2008 presidential election. I grudgingly began to like Howard Dean. I mean, can't a guy get away with a good-natured BYAHHH every once in a while?

Now that it seems like Obama could very well move into the West Wing on January 20, 2009, I am tentatively excited to see what the Democrats will be able to do with a majority of government like the Republicans did from 2000-2006. I hope they don't make as big a mess at least.

However, I have mixed feelings. I hope that Obama can institute a health insurance program that can find a way to provide quality coverage to all Americans. However, if the budget deficit doesn't start to shrink soon, I'm going to throw a temper tantrum somewhere public. I hope Obama can pull our troops out of Iraq. But if doing so endangers Israel and gives Iran a shot at improving its stature in the Middle East, I'm going to be peeved. I hope that we start to find a way to work undocumented workers into the American system and provide gay and lesbian couples an opportunity to marriage or civil partnership. However, if we don't pack away the intrusive portions of the Patriot Act in a hurry... well... I won't be able to do anything because my phone is already tapped and my e-mail is already being read. Oh well... no more threats from me!

Great... thanks a lot Patriot Act! Now I'm scared into censorship...

Respectfully,

The Conscientious Observer