And the Winner Is....

Barack Obama.

Today my students constantly asked me who I voted for. I'm hesitant to talk about these issues in the classroom environment because I think people should decide for themselves who to vote for, not throw away their vote in mimicry of someone they look up to (teacher, parent, etc.). Though, often, the people you look up to have the same ideals as you, so voting along those lines would make perfect sense.

I did ask a couple people who they voted for, and always followed up with, "Why?" The "why" is important.

One student said they "voted for McCain because Sarah Palin is hot."

Another student said they "voted for Obama because he's black."

Neither of these are good reasons. Obviously.

As I try to tell people when the subject comes up: I do not personally care, or judge, based on who you vote for. I judge you based on how well you can defend your reasons. If you think McCain was the better candidate because of his policies, and can identify which ones you agree with, good for you. Same with Obama. Be informed!

America made the right decision today.

More commentary after the cut.

Who you vote for should be based on what you value the most. I think McCain is better in almost all military affairs, but I think our economy, energy sources, and diplomacy are more important. Electing Barack Obama shows progression. Electing John McCain would have shown repetition. And had McCain been elected, America would have shown repetition.

A few people I know have said that the economy is going to fail now. Sorry, but the economy is already failing. Yes, it could get worse. But the policies that have been around are what brought us here, and if it's broke, I'm definitely going to try to fix it.

As a person, I almost like McCain. Almost. Sure, he's only a mediocre public speaker (and a horrible debater), but he means well. Unfortunately he had a huge handicap in Sarah Palin. I've made a couple posts about her before, so I'll refrain. I'll just say that she was the incorrect choice as a running mate.

I don't want to get overly political on the blog, so if you want more details on what I agree/disagree with from the candidates, ask me in person.