Losing doesn't feel so bad today!

Having two people like Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton running against each other, makes being on the losing end as a supporter a little easier to swallow.  At least it has for me.  For one of the few times in my adult life, I find myself ambivalent about having my candidate lose the nomination.  My excitement at seeing Obama win, has tempered my disappointment at realizing that this would not be the election when a woman takes the helm of leadership in the

United States

. 

Don’t get me wrong.  I am an avid supporter of Senator Clinton.  As a lesbian, her statements recognizing that same sex couples need to have their relationships recognized in SOME way, and that we must be given the same financial protections as hetero couples made me feel she was the best candidate for me.  As a Nurse, I recognize the need for every individual in this country to have access to health insurance that they can afford.  Finally, as a woman, I believe that the unique perspective that she could bring to the office would have been an incredible breath of fresh air. 

Still, Senator Obama is an incredible candidate.  Charismatic, he has energized the young people in this country, which bodes well for those of us in the LGBT community because the younger generation is without a doubt more open minded and inclusive in their thinking.  Getting these young people active, and voting, can only help us.  He comes across as genuine, and when I listen to him speak, I get the feeling that he actually believes what he’s saying.  That it comes from his heart and his soul, and not from what a staffer tells him that I want to hear. 

I want to see an

America

that once again takes its place on the world stage as a leader in progressive thinking, human rights, and respect for the rest of the world.  I want to see the resentment for us that has built up over the last 7 years subside.  I want to see us move away from protecting the wealth of the rich, by placing the burden squarely on the backs of the middle class.  Ultimately, I want to see the thick fog of feeling helpless against the ultra conservative’s hold on the presidency of my own country.  The past 7 years have felt like a political experiment, where we tested out the theory of abolishing the separation of church and state and allowed the conservative right to run this country right into the ground.  I can’t wait to take that first breath of fresh air, when George Bush moves out of the white house, and an agent for change moves in. 

That agent for change is going to be Senator Obama, and while I had wanted to see Senator Clinton win, I will support Senator Obama vigorously and with the same excitement and hope for the future.  This is the best possible losing scenario for me, one in which you don’t really lose at all.  So whether it’s a dream ticket, or Senator Clinton returns to the Senate to continue her fight for universal health care, we still win.