Wooing Super Delegates

In response to a solicitation from the campaign for words to woo super-delegates, I posted the following today to the Obama website:

I'm a technology professional who's lived most of my life in So. Cal. I've been a registered Republican for my entire adult life - until very recently. Over the years, I've become increasingly disenchanted by the direction of the Republican Party. I'm a fiscal conservative (believing in small government, low taxes, individual responsibility) but a social moderate (believing in abortion rights, gay rights). I've never voted strict party lines, always looking for character in our public servants rather than specific positions on issues.

Two years ago, I read "The Audacity of Hope" and felt right then and there that Barack was something different. I've followed this election cycle more closely than any other - partly due to a sense of urgency for a radical change in American politics and partly because of Barack's participation. His victory speech after Iowa moved me in unexpected ways. The next day, I re-registered as an Independent, knowing that I could then vote for Barack on Super Tuesday. The landslide I was wishing for that day didn't happen, but events since then have given me renewed hope.

Last week I did something I've never done in my nearly-50 years - I donated money to a political campaign - Barack's. I believe the unique course of his life, his intelligence, his courage to do the "hard work", and (above all else) his passion make him uniquely qualified at this moment in time to lead America.

I've traveled around the world, done business in Europe and Asia. I've seen what America looks like through others' eyes and I've not always been proud of what they see. I currently work in the aerospace/defense industry and I understand very well the importance of a strong military, strong intelligence capability and strong homeland defense. However, these things cannot be pursued at the expense of civil liberties and domestic quality-of-life issues, such as education, health care and immigration. America's priorities at the present are so out of whack. We need a fundamental "reset". We need a groundroots revitalization. We need Barack.