Over the years, I have become so disillusioned with our political system, that just thinking about politics often results in an immediate increase in my blood pressure. I have been registered to vote since I became 18 years of age, and in the 27 years since then, I have voted in nearly every election. Actually, I can’t recall ever not voting.

I’ve been registered as both a Republican and a Democrat. Now I am registered as an independent. I honestly believe that our bipartisan system has failed miserably. More often than not, I find myself voting AGAINST candidates instead of voting FOR them. For me, it is often a case of voting for the lesser of two evils. There has rarely been a political candidate that I have actively supported. Today’s announcement that Senator Barack Obama plans to run for President in 2008 changes that. I now have hope.

Senator Obama faces a huge challenge. A man of mixed black/white heritage faces an uphill battle, because racism still exists in our country, and far too many people use their vote as another way to discriminate. Frankly, I don’t think race, gender, or religion should have anything to do with whether someone can be elected to any office. Additionally, Barack Hussein Obama’s very name will work against him, as many voters will be reminded of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. I hope the American voter is intelligent enough to ignore these inconsequential things.

One of my biggest complaints about our electoral system is the way the candidates campaign. Mudslinging and rhetoric should have no place in politics. I have often lamented that we need to develop a system where each candidate is given an identical list of key topics and is asked to publicly comment on each one. I want to know what a candidate stands for, supports, and is willing to fight for. Don’t tell me why someone else is unfit for office - I prefer to make that determination on my own.

If you do nothing else, at least stop by your local bookstore and take a look at Obama’s book, “The Audacity of Hope“. I don’t care if you purchase the book or not. Just read the prologue, or simply open the book to a random page and read a few paragraphs. I can guarantee two things - first, you will be impressed with the way he writes. He is very intelligent and articulate - more so than the vast majority of professional writers, myself included. This man can write one sentence that accurately and intimately reflects ideas that would take me several paragraphs to even attempt to address. The second thing you will find is that he is extremely passionate in his beliefs, and the things he believes in are things that I think everyone can relate to. On pages 8-9 of the Prologue, Obama writes: “You don’t need a poll to know that the vast majority of Americans - Republican, Democrat, and independent - are weary of the dead zone that politics has become, in which narrow interests vie for advantage and ideological minorities seek to impose their own versions of absolute truth.” Just one sentence.

I find it interesting that many people are suggesting that his lack of political experience will hinder his campaign. It is the career Politicians (capital P) that have made such a mess of our country! I don’t want to support someone who plays by today’s political rules and knows how to work the system. I want someone who is willing to shake up the status quo and re-write the rules without making up their own laws. I want a President who can lead the country and have a positive impact on our future. I look at his relative inexperience as an asset, not a deficit. If you have any interest in the 2008 Presidential election, you owe it to yourself to read his book. You will discover a man who not only writes well, but has also given a great deal of thought to what he has to say. There is no political banner waving, no empty promises, nothing that even suggests that he is a typical politician. I would pay money to watch President Bush openly debate Senator Obama, even though it would serve no other purpose than a means to see the contrast between the two.

I strongly believe that the 2008 Presidential election will determine the future of our country. Will we continue to follow the same course, driving our country further and further away from the American Dream, or will we elect a new kind of leader who can actually change the face of politics for the good of the entire nation and the world? Senator Barack Obama, you have earned my vote, and most importantly, my respect.