Grandmom's for Obama

The pundits have been babbling for two days about Obama's flip-flop on campaign financing. He evidently promised to accept federal funding if the other guy did, and now he's backing out of that plan.
Whatever! This is not a problematic flip-flop for anybody but the Republican nominee as far as I'm concerned. I am as pleased as punch that Mr. Obama has decided to forego the broken funding process and take it to the people.
I went right to the post office this morning and donated fifty American dollars to Obama '08. The only political campaign contribution I had made up to this point was to Kinky Friedman for governor back in 2006. You can see I have a history of limited political involvement. Before Kinky's run for the governor's mansion, it was the early 80's and Bubba White was running for governor. Since his sister is my friend, I had to pitch in on that one. I even worked at a Democratic polling place in that election.
Then I went back to voting a straight ticket for the staunch right wing conservatives who have brought us to the present. But, flip or flop, I'm through with the Republican brand for the foreseeable future. They have stepped on the Bill of Rights, divided the American people, run public education off in the ditch, and pretty much thrown the economy into a free fall.
So this young man, who says simply that he recognizes that most Americans feel that the government no longer is of, by or for the people, has my attention.
I don't care if he lacks experience. Every U.S. President that I can think of has had to do some on the job training. Japanese bombers, Cuban missiles, the Tet Offensive, four dollar oil, you have to be able to think on your feet to qualify. Obama looks like he can. He's used the technology, he's played by the rules, he has the intention.
I'm a history teacher, and I say this looks like a history maker. America's first African American candidate looks like he could be the guy who can take back this country for the people. This is what is most important to me... fifty dollars from a public school teacher is appreciated. This is a campaign that says that what I think matters. This is a campaign that has made me believe that someone remembers the fundamentals of democracy and the importance of the rule of law.
This is going to freak them out in the oil company wives bridge group, but there's one old white woman in Texas who is getting behind the Senator from Illinois, and I can't think of much of anything that the GOP can smear him with that would get me to change my mind.