Now’s the time. It’s the beginning of the 2016 season (which absurdly starts earlier and earlier each cycle) and people are starting to pick sides and hitch their wagon to a particular candidate. I have paid attention to candidates who are actively or suspected to be running. I’ve looked at their platforms, watched their speeches, and listened to their interviews. It it early in the process, but I believe that I have made my decision.
In order to give context, I think it’s important to give insight about who I am. I pay a decent amount of attention to politics. I’m not a political junkie. The arguments that are made by political junkies mean very little to me.
I look at things through the perspective of regular people: Those that I grew up with and those that I was influenced by. I would rather watch the NBA or re-runs of “Martin” than cable news and I’m more likely to own a subscription of Hip-Hop Weekly than Townhall Magazine.
I am plugged in to politics more but my attitude is closer to the average voter.
I have my own political views and I know generally where I fall on the political spectrum (which isn’t an exact science), but I’m not a particularly ideological person. I look for people that I can connect to, those that have at least somewhat of an understanding of people like me.I also rarely make public political statements or endorsements of people that I don’t know personally, but I believe enough in what I am seeing and hearing that I felt that it was important to break with my own tradition.
For someone who comes from a working class background, I can’t just support anyone. Bumper sticker slogans and waxing poetic about presidents of the past aren’t going to help a single mother manage work, kids and going to school full time. Passing the presidency to dynasty after dynasty excites no one but lobbyists.
Engaging in debates that no one outside of Washington cares about will do nothing for many of my Millennial peers who are struggling to start their lives under a sea of student loan debt and poor job opportunities. So when I see a candidate who wants to turn the Earned Income Tax Credit into a wage enhancement that arrives in your check every month (instead of having to wait until tax time), or someone that advocates for increasing the child tax credit, providing real help to the many young parents that I know, how can I not support that?
A politician who wants to pass a law that requires colleges to let students know how much money they can expect to make from their desired degree before they take out loans, who can argue with that? How can I not think of my own parents who struggled to put me through private schools when I hear someone who believes that every parent should have the right to send their child to the school of their choice, regardless of income?
When I hear someone who believes in the rights of everyone to worship as they choose or someone who believes that the government should stop punishing poor people by drastically cutting their benefits if they decide to get married or get a part-time job, who can articulate an opposing argument that makes sense to people who I know?
How can I not be proud of the thought of America sending a message to the world that both parties can send a person of color to the highest office in the land? In a time of tremendous turmoil in our country we need someone who has the ability to unite us under a common goal. We also need someone who doesn’t make you fall asleep when they speak.
If there’s one lesson for both sides to learn from the last two presidential elections it’s that people are looking for someone to believe in.
They’re looking for a leader. Not a robot or an accountant but a real human being who understands other real human beings. I’ve watched from afar and I’m convinced that this person is running in 2016.
For all the reasons that I’ve mentioned (and many more), I am enthusiastically backing Marco Rubio for President.
I believe that he is the right guy at the right time and by far the best option for the country.