DFA straw poll comments

I wrote this as a comment attached to my signature on the DFA straw poll petition. It's a little bit long, but it's how I feel. I hope you'll read it, but I really hope you'll sign that petition.
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August 14, 2007

None of the current candidates for President of the United States are strong enough to defend and protect the American way. In fact, both parties do not have strong options that can be energizing and, quite frankly, fun to watch. However, with Vice President Gore on the ticket, we get to be truly daring and hopeful for the future.

While the Republicans present a campaign based on either fear or cronyism, the Democratic Party can talk about what our country is capable of and how a positive outlook saves our world. Al Gore’s stance on the environment is well known but most seem to overlook the obvious reasons as to why he would do this. Many will say that he is doing this simply to get noticed. The Vice President has taken this issue and made it his even when it was regarded as marginal. Recently, the issue has come to the forefront with the rise of weather related disasters here and abroad, and with a dependency on oil costing us more and more every day. The Vice President has made the global environment his mission and he does it because it's simply what he wants. I do not believe that any of the other candidates, Democratic or Republican, can make such an altruistic claim. Quite frankly, America needs a leader who wants to save the world.

The Presidency is one mechanism of change and its important for Democrats to see that fighting the good fight is worth it. We need to see that a candidate can stand up and fight for all of us as long as we stand with them. Our party looks more and more fractioned with the turn of each news cycle. We are a party of many ideas and many dreams and to discard what could bring us together is not good for the country. We owe it to the American people to look to the future and work on creating a better country and a better world right now.

This fight will not be easy. Here, we face tough competition with companies that may not want to do business differently. A change in how and with whom we do business IS good for America and it forces us to be competitive. It's time that our party stood for small businesses and not just the large ones that fund our campaigns. As long as we continue to take big money, we take the bigger risk of further alienating ourselves from the electorate. In Iraq and the Middle East, we are making enormous sacrifices. The war is costing lives, credibility and lots and lots of money. Even with a possible influx of oil money into our country, there is no way it wouldn't feel dirty.

Our country was founded on the belief that we can make ourselves better than what we are. This is why we start businesses here and strive for the American Dream. The dream is only hopeful and ideal if we choose to support “safe” candidates. What safety is there if we have no drive or ambition? What safety is there if we don’t have an ideal to fight for? What kind of world do we choose if we settle for mediocrity when we can actually shoot for the stars?

Hope is not something we should ignore and the Vice President has, quite literally, been fighting for every human being on Earth. Which candidate can honestly say that and have the real credentials to prove it, besides maybe a few talking points about the role of diplomacy and global change? How many candidates have embraced the Internet as a force of true influence? No doubt, dinner and web videos are nice, but content is king. Al Gore’s Current TV has been one of the fastest growing networks because their mission is quality television, for the people and BY the people. Who would have thought television could actually embody the ideals of the founders?

This DFA straw poll is a chance for us to elevate the ideal. Should the Vice President take up the call, we can finally run a campaign that is fueled by its base and works to bring real hope to our country and so many others. Our country is at war in the Middle East, but the war at home is for the future of our hopes and dreams. We cannot wait for a better tomorrow anymore. We have to stand up for the future ourselves, now. Let the voters have the chance to send the strongest Democrat to the White House. The Republicans should do the same. The American people deserve a real choice and a real debate on the issues and future of our way of life. Let us go out there with the best candidates and the best of our country and make everyone proud to vote. Let's fight for a real democracy. Let’s fight for our world