I’m hard pressed to consider the ending of a $3 trillion, radical healthcare reform, lobbying oversight and an aggressive alternative energy plan anything less than radical change. JFK fought to bring us to the moon and that alone was a game-changer.

Disliking the change he advocates is a fair position to take. There are many credible arguments against his plans. But it’s unfair to suggest he doesn’t offer a concrete plan for change when it’s right there.

As for American pride, I certainly brim with patriotism but am light on pride. I appreciate what American has done, and what we stand for. But that historic pride grounds my patriotism. If I look today at a radically consumerist society that prizes profit above all else, tortures our enemies, spies on its citizens without legal cause and brings war to other parts of the world I have a hard time manufacturing or sustaining pride. As for the notion that we should care what others think, I agree entirely that can be an empty cause. But we’ve lost our moral and ethic bearing along the way and perhaps it’s only by encountering someone different that we can fully appreciate what American stands at threat of becoming. Mrs. Obama’s choice of words were less than ideal, but I think perhaps she simply realized a sense of moral contentment that came not from her husband’s success, but from a tide of belief that American can be better than we’ve let ourselves become.

As for me, I’m not ashamed at claiming my American citizenship.

But I’m ashamed to support the very actions that we deem ‘terrorist’ when others practice them.
And I’m ashamed that we torture false confessions, then lie about torturing, then try to define what “torture” is, then try to grandstand until the whole thing goes away.
And I’m ashamed of the numerous actions I’m complicit in, by way of taxes and consumption.
In fact, there are a great many civic shames I bear.

So I hope we change. In fact, I always hope we change. We’ll never be close enough to perfection that change shouldn’t be welcome.

Change, change, change. Rhetoric, rhetoric, rhetoric. The ambiguity of calling for “change” is ridiculous and if I was to even come close to voting for Obama he would have to actually tell me what he wants to change and how he’s going to change it. Yes, I can call that empty. Since calling for change has no intrinsic meaning or value.

And thanks Joshua, I appreciate the kind words. I’m glad I’m able to do stuff that people like.

I believe a huge role of the president is that of chief diplomat. Our standing in the world is largely influenced by foreign policy and culture. The president is directly in charge of one of those. I think after Bush we are in serious need of someone who will repair some of our diplomatic faux pas. I am a libertarian-leaning conservative, and I even considered Obama for that reason alone.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time out of the country following high-school, and every place I go has been so open, welcoming, and interesting, that it’s very hard for me to see our country as a place to be excited about in comparison. While I haven’t experienced the “European Elitists” you speak about, it seems like people in South America, the greater Australian continent,

I’m certainly reasonably happy with the relative stability and security that we’re currently experiencing as a people, but the reality seems to be that we’re leaning further and further toward a police or military state that uses fear and power to undermine the best interests of the people & keep them under sense of nervous suspicion to everyone that questions the government; so much so that I don’t feel as though I need to give specific examples (although I shudder visibly when I hear the words “patriot” and “act” together in any context).

I am somewhat of a supporter of Obama, feel like McCain & Clinton would both be steps in the wrong direction, and I love Jesus very much. I’m not sure why I mentioned that last bit other than to give you some context.

Thanks for allowing comments, I’m not interested in picking a fight, more so to help understand and try to understand other people’s opinions.