Voting for Barack Obama

Tomorrow, I'm voting for Barack Obama. I'm thrilled that in this year's Democratic primary, I get to choose between two candidates who are intelligent, competent, competitive against Republican candidates, and committed to issues that I care about. In the general election, I'll enthusiastically support whichever Democratic candidate gets the nomination.

That said, I'm behind Obama. As xkcd points out, Obama's technology policy is a well-informed articulation of the steps government will need to take in the near future to preserve the open internet and leverage existing and new technology for the benefit of our entire society -- as far as I can tell, Clinton has no comparable plan.

And: style matters.
There's that old chestnut, electability in the general election; if Clinton ends up running against McCain, she'll have to quickly switch tactics from her current platform of "experience", and the irrational personal animosity that some voters have toward her could hurt, whoever the opponent.

But more importantly, style matters even after the election is won.
If Barack Obama becomes our next president, not only can he help bring a respectful, cooperative tone to the divisive status quo of American politics, but his charismatic style will multiply his influence far beyond the legislation he enacts. His enthusiasm is contagious; more than any other candidate, he has a chance to dampen political cynicism and engage large numbers of ordinary citizens to participate in democracy. An Obama presidency would encourage and inspire citizens to mobilize, participate, and act -- and enthusiastic citizens can accoumplish a lot.