Week One: My political preferences

As a embittered ex-supporter of current President George W. Bush, I have during the last four years come to realize that it is flawed to blindly support a politician simply because of your party allegiance- which is mainly determined by your parents' ideology. I used to be a proud Republican, brandishing my party ways without having a solid clue as to what those policies entailed. I've come to realize that my personal views actually don't resemble those of the Republican party's at all. I generally agree with how they approach the running of the country (less federal government influence) but I am in complete disagreement with them on the social issues. Then I realized that I didn't want to declare myself a Democrat because, frankly, I'm not comfortable with allying myself to a party completely simply because I don't agree wholeheartedly with either party: there are pros and cons on both sides of the coin. So I've decided to be an independent and side with the candidate I most agree with; regardless of party.
I cannot vote in this election (I miss the age deadline by two months), but I am an avid supporter of Barack Obama. It is difficult to articulate why I support him; it's an allegiance that runs deeper than just policies. That stance may sound quite shallow, but that's not the case: I agree very much with Barack Obama's ideas. Whether he can deliver is a valid reservation, but the way he has run his campaign (utilizing things like the internet and texts messages to get the people much more involved and invested), his very visible intelligence, worldliness, and his thoughtfulness only instill confidence in me. His experience is not extensive, but hey: some men achieve greatness, but some men are born great. Call it idealism on my part, but after being disillusioned with the American government for eight long years, I find Obama's confidence and sincerity not just refreshing, but galvanizing. I feel that he can restore this country to both the standards and dignity that the Bush administration has severely damaged, and I deeply hope he wins.
Regarding same sex marriage, it's interesting how McCain and Obama are fairly similar in approach. Obama is outspoken in believing that homosexuality is not a choice by a biological orientation and that we ought to regard it as a matter of civil union and not bring religion into the mix. McCain, unlike some Republicans, actually is very tolerant of homosexuals and, while he does believe that marriage ought to be between a man and a woman, he does agree with Obama that the matter of same sex marriages ought to be left up to the states, not the federal government.
Regarding energy, McCain and Obama are surprisingly similar. McCain does acknowledge that the environment is an important issue that needs addressing and believes that offshore drilling in sanctioned parts of the U.S. (namely Alaska) and exploring the potentials of nuclear power will solve much of our energy resource problems. Obama in fact agrees to the offshore drilling and nuclear power, but to a lesser extent, citing that we ought to commit more funding to other energy resources, regarding McCain's policies as putting a band-aid on a broken arm and only helping the issue in the short term.
And that concludes my first entry; stay posted for more of my babble.