Obama Is True Candidate for Change

Note: This endorsement reflects only the opinion of this writer and not the various publications to which he contributes.

Even though I no longer live in New Hampshire, I remain keenly interested in the state's first-in-the-nation primary. I have particularly enjoyed hearing anecdotes from friends and sources, especially those who had never been to New Hampshire before, about their experiences in my home state and particularly my hometown of Manchester. People truly cannot fully understand the spectacle that is the New Hampshire primary until they experience it first hand.

That said; Granite Staters finally head to the polls today after months (and even years) of campaign speeches, rallies and other events across the state. In talking with friends and family in Manchester and in other parts of the state, I have tried to get a sense of which candidate's vision for the country most accurately reflects my own progressive politics. I have tried to gain some insight into which candidate has the best chance to win the White House in November. And, perhaps most importantly, I have tried to secure a sense of which candidate has the most integrity and conviction to lead the American people for at least the next four years. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois is that candidate.

New Hampshire voters, like many others across the country, want a new beginning after seven years of the Bush administration and the partisan politics from both sides of the aisle that have paralyzed Washington. Sometimes it is necessary for a relative Beltway outsider to take office in order to shake-up the political status quo or to simply restore hope and faith into a system that many wrote off long ago as inefficient or corrupt. Obama exudes an optimism that inspires the legacy of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and others who sought a new direction for the country. He dares to express his hope for a so-called post-partisan brand of politics which will actually deliver tangible results to the American people tired of political inaction in Washington. And Obama consistently inspires people as an effective orator. All of these things are necessary traits for any great president.

Obama has certainly made some mistakes on the campaign trail, such as his decision to include "ex-gay" gospel singer Donnie McClurkin at a South Carolina campaign event last fall, Others, such as the Rev. Irene Monroe, have criticized Obama for not supporting marriage for same-sex couples based upon their religious affiliations. These decisions and positions certainly cost him some support among potential supporters but I truly feel Obama will include LGBT Americans in his broader vision to restore hope in this country.

This country desperately needs a new direction. And Obama remains the only candidate who can bring about the change for which so many yearn.