Republicans Stand for Obama

A few months ago, a friend of mine was visiting me, when I received my Obama gear in the post. "What is an arch-conservative like you doing with a liberal like Barack Obama?" he asked, when he caught me trying to smuggle the items away so he wouldn't see. "How can you support a man who doesn't think like you?" he went on. I didn't see that coming, so I had not prepared a come-back. "If you listen to him, you would vote for him", I said calmly. "In that case I don't want to listen to anything he has to say" he responded. He would even cover his ears with his hands whenever I brought up Obama. Unfortunately, he got tired of holding his hands to his ears, and he's now an Obama freak.

Let me be upfront: I'm an Evangelical conservative; I believe life begins at conception and I abhor abortion. I admire George Bush. I love his charisma, his compassionate and family-oriented approach to immigration and I love how people fool themselves that he's stupid. I supported the use of force against Iraq and believed American troops should stay in Iraq for the long-term and finish the job. I bashed Nancy Pelosi for meeting with Ahmed Bashir, I believed Iran is messing with the United States and that everything and anything should be on the table to stop them. My friends and I would make fun of liberals, and call them immoral people trying to contaminate our values. I was homophobic, trusted only Fox News and treated myself to a bit of Imus, Limbaugh and Coulter. How could I possibly support Obama?

Such is the ideological gridlock and partisan squabbling America has found itself in. The punditry on both sides is only too eager to divide America into red and blue and anyone who reaches across the aisle is accused of being too conciliatory. That's the junk I've been fed for decades. It is unlikely that this will change if the greatest democracy in the world endorses dynasticism or if the choice in this election comes down to two polarizing, pugnacious 'cowboys'

"Of the viable national candidates, only Obama and possibly McCain have the potential to bridge this widening partisan gulf. Polling reveals Obama to be the favored Democrat among Republicans" wrote conservative author and political commentator, Andrew Sullivan.

Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) has garnered huge support from Republicans and Independents, like no other Democrat - making him a force that the GOP should be very, very afraid of. In late 2006, Navy Reservist, John Martin, founded Republicans For Obama; last month, more than 1000 New Hampshire Independents endorsed Obama and 268 Iowa Republicans publicly announced that they would caucus for the Illinois Senator on January 3. Recently, the campaign announced that 659 Nevada Republicans will caucus for Obama and former GOP congressman, Perkins Bass changed his Party to vote for Obama in the NH primary. Other profiled Republicans voting for Obama include Dee Vandeventer, Monica Green, Brett Blix, Jerry Spivak, Sue and Emil Richter. I wonder if Democrats recognize their good fortune.

When it comes to bringing Republicans and Democrats together, Obama has walked the walk. He worked with Republicans in the Illinois legislature to reform a broken death penalty system that had sent innocent people on death row and to pass the first major ethics reform in 25 years. "He emerged as a leader while still in his 30s by developing a style, former colleagues describe as methodical, inclusive and pragmatic." writes Peter Slevin.

Shortly after Obama was elected to the US Senate, Chairman Dick Lugar (R-IN), recruited him into the Senate Foreign Relations committee. The two men travelled to Russia to survey weapons of mass destruction, and worked together on a bill that kept nuclear weapons from the hands of terrorists. Lugar told Howey, Obama "has the potential to be a good president." In his announcement speech, Obama named only two political figures: Lincoln and Lugar.

Republican Senator Kirk Dillard, who partnered with Obama in the Illinois capitol, said he would not "lose a night's sleep worrying about my young children's future if Senator Obama were my president because I know he would probably surround himself, like Ronald Reagan, with exceptionally experienced people"

Too often we talk about the David and Goliath story, but we leave out the most important part - that Samuel, the prophet didn't think David could be King - especially at a time when Israel faced many enemies and a terrorist called Goliath. David was too young and inexperienced. But the anointed one, who defeated Goliath, became the King that God would later call "A man after my own heart".

Today, America faces many Goliaths at home and around the world - partisan division, poverty, HIV-AIDS, climate change, terrorism, etc. These challenges need a fresh approach, a new vision, a new face and a calm head (yes, a calm head) with the wisdom and judgment to lead.

Some people claim that if Obama is the Democratic nominee, the GOP will caricature him. Well good luck trying. This conservative already knows that Obama is liberal, that he's inexperienced according to Washington conventional wisdom, that his Muslim-turned-atheist father named him Barack Hussein Obama, and that when he was growing up without a father and struggling with his identity, he made the kind of mistakes that most of us have made. Obama himself wrote about it 12 years ago, in one of his bestselling books - Dreams of My Father. But it was Democrats, not the GOP who made it an issue, in their slash and burn politics. So if Iowans have the decency to sort out all of that junk and Obama survives the Primaries, nothing the GOP throws at him will stick.

The punditry is banging its head to understand why Republicans love Obama. The explanation is not found in any Washington textbook. It's in the heart, and Washington is far too disconnected from the heart. I first connected to Obama after his DNC speech in 2004. After I found out his liberal positions, I started bashing him on abortion, LGBT rights and immigration. But it was only a matter of time before I realized that this was much bigger than ideology. If I survived evil people who prayed beside me in church, a wife-beating Bishop, a materialistic, now divorced preacher wife, a closet gay Republican elected official, I can survive a President Obama, who understands the day to day lives of real people.

Barack Obama is a very compassionate man who upon graduating top of his class from Harvard, passed up Wall Street and instead went to work on the ground to help rebuild broken lives on Chicago south side. His family extends from East Africa right to our own vice President; his character is decent, consistent and conservative; he's married for 15 years to the same woman; he upholds strong ethics and moral values and believes in strengthening families; his God is our God, his faith is our faith - faith in Christ Jesus; and his experiences are most unique of anyone that ever ran for president. You're not going to agree with him on everything - but at least, hear him out.

I implore undecided Republicans to support Obama in the primaries and caucuses. You don't have to wait until November 2008 to vote against someone - this election must not be about the lesser of two evils. This election can be about the best hope for America. America, seize this opportunity! For such a gift, such a blessing, comes along only once in a generation. If Senator Obama is the next President of the United States of America, it will not be a Democratic victory; it will be an American victory.