An open letter to Governor Strickland:

Governor Strickland,

I have always been a supporter of yours and I will continue to support you even after this election. Thank you for the good work you have done so far as our Governor.

However, I would like to respectfully request that you change your decision to support Senator Hillary Clinton in the upcoming Presidential Primary.

An honest assessment of Senator Clinton’s reputation and standing amongst the American people clearly shows undeniable tarnish. As some candidates have a natural leadership quality that cannot quite be categorized or easily summarized, Senator Clinton appears to have the unique ability to generate irritation, anger and confrontation. I think it is quite likely that a new Clinton White House would create a “circled wagon” mentality in Congress. There are those who are adamant that no new Clinton policy be put into effect. The self-imposed Congressional gridlock will be a graveyard for any new bills brought into it. To make matters worse, she appears to have alienated a number of key Democratic leaders in her bid to become President. Is this reputation fair or justified? Possibly not, that would be a long and in depth discussion. However, it is the reality of the situation. Those are the cards we have to play.

Regardless of what our personal inclinations toward the Clinton’s are, you cannot fail to see the polarizing effect they have on politicians and voters. I cannot see how anything will “get done” in Washington with her reputation, particularly in light of what seems to be a scorched earth policy being taken by her campaign (tearing down her opponents on both sides). We do not need another “Grenade-Thrower” in the White House. We do not need to waste any more time “sending a message” to Republicans, President Bush and/or any other individual we deem as being “not on our side”. If we give up on our message and philosophy because they will not be enacted without compromise, what have we really accomplished? We need a leader who can listen to all sides of an argument and forge the best possible solution. We need to begin the process of coming together, creating consensus and moving forward.

I believe Senator Barack Obama represents our best chance at taking those tentative first steps towards a new era in politics.

Senator Barack Obama instills in me (and others) a sense of real hope. For the first time since Bill Clinton’s first Presidential campaign, I feel excited and enthusiastic about a candidate. I have volunteered for the first time in years and have leant him my financial support. That feeling and those actions are “real”. That is to say, he has already instigated “change” by changing my viewpoint intellectually and emotionally. He is not just a man of empty words or “rhetoric”. It so happens that I agree with his policies almost across the board, but I feel like I would support him anyway. I would be proud to have him as our new “Ambassador to the World”.

Senator Obama not only has that “it factor” that makes people want to follow him, he has excellent ideas for moving this country forward. These ideas would also be open for debate and discussion, unlike the original Clinton Health Plan. Policies in which others get a voice are policies that, though may take longer to enact, do get enacted and do get support and funding. Senator Obama is also capable of explaining his position to others in common terms that all can understand and relate to. I see a future in which all members of Congress rise and applaud at the State of the Union Address, not half or a quarter. . Does this seem over-reaching or ambitious? Perhaps idealistic? Maybe and quite possibly, but now I have the HOPE that it can happen. Hope is a powerful instrument of change. All in all, Senator Obama is a “complete package”.

Do I think Senator Clinton would do harm to this country? Not overtly, no. But I do believe that very little will be accomplished. This election is too important. This time in our country’s history is important. We are at war in two countries and our economy is in recession. Ohio itself has been hurting for years. We need change. We need leadership. We need a new philosophy and we need it now. “Politics as usual,” is the wrong tenet at the wrong time.

This, of course, is all in “my humble opinion”, but I truly hope you will take the time to re-assess your position on this election and give Senator Obama your consideration.

Thank you for your time.