For The Fallible Record

I’ve waited a couple of days, but the time has come to tell you why I did not vote for Barack Obama. And why I’m at peace with my decision.

I didn’t vote for him because I’ve had my fill of charismania. Now, I’m not referring to the various branches of Christianity known as “Charismatic.” Rather, I’m referring to the tendency among humans to find a man (or woman) so full of what we’ll just call personal attraction as to make NOT following him (or her) seem almost sinful.

I didn’t vote for him because I’ve grown ever more fond of principles than I will ever again be fond of personalities. I’ve read, post-election, that Obama won because of “the secret of attraction.” Please, God, say it isn’t so. Can’t a candidate win on the basis of substance anymore, even if his style (or his level of attraction…) is rough around the edges?

I didn’t vote for him because I feel no “white guilt” whatsoever, and apparently I was supposed to. I didn’t know I owed him my vote, in order to somehow make reparations for the collective sins of the past. Seriously, I did not realize beforehand that such a thing as white guilt would even enter the white population’s thinking as they cast their ballots. But now, post-electon and in our new supposedly post-racial society, all I’m hearing is that race is a far bigger issue than I could have ever imagined.

I didn’t vote for him because it never occurred to me to consider his color at all. Not only that, but I didn’t understand that his ability to deftly mesmerize an audience (me included) with words of lyrical inspiration should trump my analysis of his voting record. So I read about his record, found that I disagreed with him on almost everything, and snapped out of his spell.

I didn’t vote for him because while someday, I’d love to have the opportunity to vote for a man of color, I did not and do not believe that Obama is that man. And since I cannot and will not vote for a candidate based on his color, I will have to wait a while longer to enjoy that privilege.

Posted by Katy on 11/07/08 at 12:45 PM

Fallible Comments...

I could not have said it better myself!
Posted by Suzan on 11/07/08 at 01:54 PM
Excellent choice of words.
Posted by Sandi Thompson on 11/07/08 at 02:32 PM
Katy, you wrote about this so aptly.
Especially this paragraph:
"I didn’t vote for him because it never occurred to me to consider his color at all. Not only that, but I didn’t understand that his ability to deftly mesmerize an audience (me included) with words of lyrical inspiration should trump my analysis of his voting record. So I read about his record, found that I disagreed with him on almost everything, and snapped out of his spell. "

When the majority of people who vote do so based on flimsy excuses such as skin color or appearance, the country is in for a world of hurt. Those of us who disagree with Obama & the other liberals of his caliber need to be keeping track EVERY day these next four years of what's going on in D.C., & what they are trying to do. Subscribe to informational emails such as the frc.org, & act when needed--that might mean once a month or every day we may need to call our representatives and senators to make sure the fair and beneficial change is what's done, not just change for change.
Posted by Belle on 11/07/08 at 03:17 PM
Thank you for saying what I couldn't find the exact right words to say.
Posted by D'Ann Mateer on 11/07/08 at 04:25 PM
Amen, Katy! Your sentiments are exactly my sentiments in this! Amen!!
Posted by Linda on 11/09/08 at 12:47 AM
Maybe you folks should have been keeping better track of things over the last eight years while George W. Bush was slamming this country deep into a sinkhole.

Your choice of "T-Shirts" kinda tells the story of your politics, Katy, and believing in a fraudulent "Joe the (non) plumber" and a "Re-made By Rove Disciples" John McCain" belies your claim to thoughtful voting. But I believe you when you say that President-Elect Obama's beliefs are not your own, and salute your honesty in admitting to not votiing for him. I'm sure there will be others who pretend to be on the right side in this historic election.
Posted by Jack on 11/09/08 at 04:36 PM
i also didn't vote for the Democrat party - i couldn't, in good conscience, send our country down to depths we've never known.
Posted by laura on 11/10/08 at 07:39 AM
Thanks for this post, Katy--you said it perfectly!

Mary
Posted by Mary on 11/10/08 at 07:30 PM
I agree completely with you, Katy. And for Jack, our country started this spiral downward long before the Bush presidency. Whatever happened to holding our senators and congressman responsible? You really can't think that this mess we are in now is ALL George Bush's fault? Too many people voted for Obama based on his skin color, not the issues. I'm sorry people may think I'm racist because I did not vote for him....that is far from the truth! Like you, Katy, his agenda for our country just does not make me feel very comfortable with him. But since he will be our president, I'll be praying for him....he will need all the help he can get.
Posted by Mary Anne Green on 11/11/08 at 01:35 PM
Mary Anne:

As I recall, Congress had been majority Republican from the mid-90s until 2007. Where was the accountability then? I love it when Republicans try to say that Bush came into office when the Country was already on a downward spiral. Except on Fox News, the facts just don't bear that argument out!

I don't know you, so I can't say if you are racist or not. But giving the benefit of the doubt... I think we get confused between Racists ala the Ku Klux Klan, and racism. racism can be quite low-key -- as in, "people only voted for him because of his skin color." And, "Obama's playing the race card" when in fact it was his opponent, surrogates and 527s who were constantly, subtly playing the race card. Almost everyone has some degree of racism, sexism, and other isms within them. The main question being whether you own that and consider it in your thinking so that you can go beyond those thoughts and make decisions rationally.

I realize that if you are a hard core conservative, the next eight years may be uncomfortable for you -- think how I felt the last eight years. But I am quite certain that when we look back as a country four years from now, and especially eight years from now, God Willing, assuming Obama is reelected, that we'll truly be able to say we're better off then (even if only by a little bit in 2012), than we are now.

And please remember that Democrats don't bite!
Posted by Jack on 11/11/08 at 01:52 PM
Yes. Amen.
Posted by Lisa on 11/12/08 at 02:51 PM
Jack, I agree with you. The republican senators and congressman hold responsibility also for the mess we are in now....I certainly don't believe that the democrats are fully to blame for this. I still don't believe that this economic situation happened over the last 8 years...it's been a long-coming economic crisis. As far as voting or not voting for Obama because of his color...I actually considered voting for him in the beginning, until I became educated about his beliefs and what he plans to do if elected. Like Katy, he just is not the right person for me at this time. In the meantime, I will be praying for him, our congress, and our country. I think we are in for some really hard times. I hope you are right that 4-8 years from now we can say that Obama was good for our country. I'd be saying that also if McCain had been elected. Mere men are not going to be the salvation of our country...that can only come from a merciful God.
Posted by Mary Anne Green on 11/14/08 at 08:56 AM
With many thanks for post))
Posted by krot on 01/09/09 at 06:23 PM

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Personal blog of christian writer & fallible mom Katy McKenna Raymond in Kansas City, Missouri Katy is represented by Greg Johnson at WordServe Literary Read more Katy at LateBoomer.net Follow Katy on Twitter Follow Katy on Facebook 123 Recent Posts Try Becoming Brenda Starr Off Beat Scattered That’s It So I’ve Finally Signed With An Agent. Now What? The Spoon Sciatica Sweetheart A Woman’s Train of Thought Has No Caboose However much we own, we are all still living on borrowed time After all, when restaurants shrink portions, they don’t shrink prices. As with everything in life, balance is key. Slow down, you move too fast… Yeah, I know. I have issues. Search Advanced Search Syndicate Login E me at katy @ ngenius.com	For The Fallible Record I’ve waited a couple of days, but the time has come to tell you why I did not vote for Barack Obama. And why I’m at peace with my decision. I didn’t vote for him because I’ve had my fill of charismania. Now, I’m not referring to the various branches of Christianity known as “Charismatic.” Rather, I’m referring to the tendency among humans to find a man (or woman) so full of what we’ll just call personal attraction as to make NOT following him (or her) seem almost sinful. I didn’t vote for him because I’ve grown ever more fond of principles than I will ever again be fond of personalities. I’ve read, post-election, that Obama won because of “the secret of attraction.” Please, God, say it isn’t so. Can’t a candidate win on the basis of substance anymore, even if his style (or his level of attraction…) is rough around the edges? I didn’t vote for him because I feel no “white guilt” whatsoever, and apparently I was supposed to. I didn’t know I owed him my vote, in order to somehow make reparations for the collective sins of the past. Seriously, I did not realize beforehand that such a thing as white guilt would even enter the white population’s thinking as they cast their ballots. But now, post-electon and in our new supposedly post-racial society, all I’m hearing is that race is a far bigger issue than I could have ever imagined. I didn’t vote for him because it never occurred to me to consider his color at all. Not only that, but I didn’t understand that his ability to deftly mesmerize an audience (me included) with words of lyrical inspiration should trump my analysis of his voting record. So I read about his record, found that I disagreed with him on almost everything, and snapped out of his spell. I didn’t vote for him because while someday, I’d love to have the opportunity to vote for a man of color, I did not and do not believe that Obama is that man. And since I cannot and will not vote for a candidate based on his color, I will have to wait a while longer to enjoy that privilege. Posted by Katy on 11/07/08 at 12:45 PM Fallible Comments... I could not have said it better myself! Posted by Suzan on 11/07/08 at 01:54 PM Excellent choice of words. Posted by Sandi Thompson on 11/07/08 at 02:32 PM Katy, you wrote about this so aptly. Especially this paragraph: "I didn’t vote for him because it never occurred to me to consider his color at all. Not only that, but I didn’t understand that his ability to deftly mesmerize an audience (me included) with words of lyrical inspiration should trump my analysis of his voting record. So I read about his record, found that I disagreed with him on almost everything, and snapped out of his spell. " When the majority of people who vote do so based on flimsy excuses such as skin color or appearance, the country is in for a world of hurt. Those of us who disagree with Obama & the other liberals of his caliber need to be keeping track EVERY day these next four years of what's going on in D.C., & what they are trying to do. Subscribe to informational emails such as the frc.org, & act when needed--that might mean once a month or every day we may need to call our representatives and senators to make sure the fair and beneficial change is what's done, not just change for change. Posted by Belle on 11/07/08 at 03:17 PM Thank you for saying what I couldn't find the exact right words to say. Posted by D'Ann Mateer on 11/07/08 at 04:25 PM Amen, Katy! Your sentiments are exactly my sentiments in this! Amen!! Posted by Linda on 11/09/08 at 12:47 AM Maybe you folks should have been keeping better track of things over the last eight years while George W. Bush was slamming this country deep into a sinkhole. Your choice of "T-Shirts" kinda tells the story of your politics, Katy, and believing in a fraudulent "Joe the (non) plumber" and a "Re-made By Rove Disciples" John McCain" belies your claim to thoughtful voting. But I believe you when you say that President-Elect Obama's beliefs are not your own, and salute your honesty in admitting to not votiing for him. I'm sure there will be others who pretend to be on the right side in this historic election. Posted by Jack on 11/09/08 at 04:36 PM i also didn't vote for the Democrat party - i couldn't, in good conscience, send our country down to depths we've never known. Posted by laura on 11/10/08 at 07:39 AM Thanks for this post, Katy--you said it perfectly! Mary Posted by Mary on 11/10/08 at 07:30 PM I agree completely with you, Katy. And for Jack, our country started this spiral downward long before the Bush presidency. Whatever happened to holding our senators and congressman responsible? You really can't think that this mess we are in now is ALL George Bush's fault? Too many people voted for Obama based on his skin color, not the issues. I'm sorry people may think I'm racist because I did not vote for him....that is far from the truth! Like you, Katy, his agenda for our country just does not make me feel very comfortable with him. But since he will be our president, I'll be praying for him....he will need all the help he can get. Posted by Mary Anne Green on 11/11/08 at 01:35 PM Mary Anne: As I recall, Congress had been majority Republican from the mid-90s until 2007. Where was the accountability then? I love it when Republicans try to say that Bush came into office when the Country was already on a downward spiral. Except on Fox News, the facts just don't bear that argument out! I don't know you, so I can't say if you are racist or not. But giving the benefit of the doubt... I think we get confused between Racists ala the Ku Klux Klan, and racism. racism can be quite low-key -- as in, "people only voted for him because of his skin color." And, "Obama's playing the race card" when in fact it was his opponent, surrogates and 527s who were constantly, subtly playing the race card. Almost everyone has some degree of racism, sexism, and other isms within them. The main question being whether you own that and consider it in your thinking so that you can go beyond those thoughts and make decisions rationally. I realize that if you are a hard core conservative, the next eight years may be uncomfortable for you -- think how I felt the last eight years. But I am quite certain that when we look back as a country four years from now, and especially eight years from now, God Willing, assuming Obama is reelected, that we'll truly be able to say we're better off then (even if only by a little bit in 2012), than we are now. And please remember that Democrats don't bite! Posted by Jack on 11/11/08 at 01:52 PM Yes. Amen. Posted by Lisa on 11/12/08 at 02:51 PM Jack, I agree with you. The republican senators and congressman hold responsibility also for the mess we are in now....I certainly don't believe that the democrats are fully to blame for this. I still don't believe that this economic situation happened over the last 8 years...it's been a long-coming economic crisis. As far as voting or not voting for Obama because of his color...I actually considered voting for him in the beginning, until I became educated about his beliefs and what he plans to do if elected. Like Katy, he just is not the right person for me at this time. In the meantime, I will be praying for him, our congress, and our country. I think we are in for some really hard times. I hope you are right that 4-8 years from now we can say that Obama was good for our country. I'd be saying that also if McCain had been elected. Mere men are not going to be the salvation of our country...that can only come from a merciful God. Posted by Mary Anne Green on 11/14/08 at 08:56 AM With many thanks for post)) Posted by krot on 01/09/09 at 06:23 PM Page 1 of 1 pages Commenting is not available in this weblog entry. 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Personal blog of christianwriter & fallible momKaty McKenna Raymondin Kansas City, Missouri

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For The Fallible Record

Personal blog of christian
writer & fallible mom
Katy McKenna Raymond
in Kansas City, Missouri