Hope is a cliche, but I'm still gonna say it

In honor of President-elect Barack Obama's victory yesterday, here's a little election story of my own:

I voted for him. But I didn't really feel too good about it. I felt like who he was depended on which TV station I was watching. Online, the progressive blogosphere was excited and optimistic. Offline, I faced some fairly intense attempts at persuasion that he was a demagogue, a socialist, a Communist, and a liar. The seeds of doubt were planted too deep for me to feel too passionate about my vote. Even up until I cast my ballot I was still wondering if I was about to make a huge mistake.

But I sat down and thought about it from the outside, and I took a little advice from Jay Smooth over at the Ill Doctrine. He had a video about voting, and what you would say to your kids you stayed home for such a historic election. Well, what would I say to my hypothetical future kids about who I voted for?

If I voted for McCain, I would be voting out of fear. Fear that Obama isn't who he seems to be, fear that he really will bring socialism or collapse the economy or invite terrorist attacks. But if I voted for Obama, I would be voting out of hope. Hope that he is who he seems to be, hope that he really will bring change to our government and repair our failing institutions and restore our reputation as a role model for the world.

I could be making a mistake either way. But I would rather make a mistake out of hope than out of fear.

Yesterday, watching the entire world convulse in celebration, united in their joy and inspiration for the future, I can't feel like it was a mistake, no matter what the next four years bring. A world filled with hope has to be better than one filled with fear.