If we can be inspirational for a moment...

Dear drew,

I am fresh popped out of college. And this election is the most important one of our lives. I think I like Obama but I don't know if some benign force will allow a black man to become president. Then on the other foot, my womanhood condemns me to vote for Hillary. A couple months ago I stumbled upon your website and I was really impressed, it looks like your really helping people. Go you! This election effects you and I, and simply put, in terms you can understand. Who do you endorse? You seem to have a good head on your shoulders; so I was hoping to pick your brain. Also, my dad says the most important issue is NAFTA. What do you think about that?

Presidentially Confused in Philly

Dear Presidentially Confused in Philly,

You know what politics have meant to most people our age for about eight years now?

Nothing. Our generation has deteriorated into a state of political and ideological apathy. Previous generations took to the streets to stand against corrupt governments and abuse of power. Where are we now?

I'll tell you where we are now. We've given up. People don't believe in leaders or politicians anymore, and why should they? How many in power have proven to be corrupt? How many have abused their positions, giving into lobbyists for fat paychecks and favors instead of protecting and aiding their citizens?

Politics is no longer an exciting challenge of ideas and execution; to the the common man or woman, politics is bullshit. There's no one to trust. No one to believe in. It seems to boil down to the lesser of two evils on every ballot.

Even when I voted for Kerry in 2004, I did so as an apologist. He wasn't a savior, he just didn't happen to represent the absolute holocaust of American values that George Bush did...and still does.

Why am I writing all of this?

I'm writing all of this because for the first time in almost a decade, there is a candidate who wipes away the things I hate about politics, there is a candidate who inspires me to believe in something again, something noble.

That candidate is Barack Obama.

When he speaks, he speaks as a leader, as a soon-to-be father of a nation telling us one and all that it is okay to dream again, that we can wake from the sleeping death-knell of apathy and naivety to instead reach for hope, change and progress.

He is young and idealistic, untainted by the years of political mudslinging and closed-door-favors that spoil the spirits of so many politicians over the years. Detractors speak of his lack of experience. I see a lack of corruption and shady practices. I see a candidate who commands American attention. A man of intelligence, integrity and charisma.

These are all attributes sorely lacking in George W. Bush, but this is stating the obvious.

We need a president we can be proud of again. A President who embodies the best about America, not the worst. This is a land of opportunity, a country founded on the principles that anyone from any walk of life can succeed and thrive when given the chance.

Many speak of race being a heavy factor in this election. They're right. The hard-boiled truth is that many Americans will vote for Barack Obama simply because he is black, and others won't give him their vote for the very same reason.

That's the country we live in. It's not perfect.

The question I keep asking is if America is getting better? Is America ready to start getting better?

I choose to believe that it is. I choose to believe that America will shape up and start cleaning up the mess we've made over the past eight years under the worst administration this country has ever seen.

I believe in Barack Obama. I believe not in his perfection, but in his abilities, intentions and qualities. He is a leader who inspires hope and pride in a country that is in dire need of both.

I am voting for Barack Obama because I want to believe in America again.

I encourage everyone to do the same.

For information on the current state of Clinton and Obama's NAFTA dialogue, click here...

Send all of your questions to askdrewlindo@gmail.com.