In Support of Obama (a.k.a. Barack the Casbah!)

Out of the crowded (albeit increasingly thinning) field of 2008 US Presidential contenders, I have decided to support Barack Obama.

The overriding rationale for doing so concerns certain deep-seated ideological divides that I believe form the underlying impediments to positive change in both the US and abroad. Such “divides” include, e.g., democrat v republican, secular v religious, and the "West" v Islam. It is my firm belief that Mr Obama is the candidate most uniquely qualified to unite people of opposing worldviews, and thus begin to bridge these gaps.

It is Obama’s rhetoric and positions on two issues, in particular, that have shaped this belief in me:

Reconciling Faith & Politics: Unlike any other major Democratic politician I've seen, I believe that Mr Obama speaks genuinely and convincingly about faith. As a fellow left-leaning churchgoer (Russian Orthodox), I am deeply concerned about the mutual suspicion between religious and secular America, in particular the widespread belief – among both religious conservatives and secular liberals – that being religious and being politically progressive are mutually exclusive. Mr Obama addressed this issue in his June 2006 "Call to Renewal" address at a church in DC (video excerpt here, text here); his words foster my confidence in his ability to:

• Narrow this divide by encouraging a fairer-minded, more inclusive debate about shared, universal moral issues; and
• In the process, be an ambassador for the idea that traditionally liberal policies such as education, healthcare, non-discrimination, fighting poverty, anti-militarism, and the environment can be consistent with a religious (e.g., Christian, Jewish, Muslim) lifestyle.

Foreign Policy & National Security: While Mr Obama is no doubt committed to winning the war against terrorists, he believes that doing so requires more than simply "smoking them out of their holes". In his own words (from an Aug 2007 speech, details here), he said: "America must be about more than taking out terrorists [...] or else new terrorists will rise up to take the place of every one we capture or kill. That is why [...] my strategy will [include] drying up the rising well of support for extremism." He believes that it's in our national interest to restore our reputation in the world, in large part by "drying up" the root causes that threaten our security. Specifically, he routinely emphasizes addressing such issues as:

• Re-engaging in dialogue and diplomacy with other countries, even our adversaries
• Poverty reduction (e.g., in younger, struggling democracies like Iraq)
• Global education (e.g., for children in the Middle East)
• Expanding US presence in Africa (e.g., by engaging in the crisis in Darfur)
• Worldwide disease prevention (e.g., fighting AIDS and malaria)
• Reversing climate change (e.g., by working with Europe, China, and India to reduce worldwide carbon emissions)
• Increased efforts to secure/eliminate nuclear weapons

In conclusion, though, may I just add that we in BrumpelStiltskin are not the most coercive tools in the shed. Thus, keep in mind that we'll respect whatever decision you ultimately make. That being said, we do hope you'll consider Mr Obama, both on Super Tuesday and beyond.




Michail is resident political junkie for Mic's Tape. While the above words are his alone, he is pleased to reveal that all of BrumpelStiltskin has endorsed Mr Obama.