Lone Star Iconoclast endorses Obama

Lone Star Iconoclast [Crawford, TX]
Sunday, October 5, 2008
By Nathan Diebenow, Don M. Fisher, W. Leon Smith

We Trust Obama
2008 Presidential Endorsement

So, how’s that free market economy working for you?

This time four years ago, The Lone Star Iconoclast, as the hometown newspaper for President George W. Bush, endorsed Sen. John Kerry for president. Back then, we wholeheartedly believed Kerry would restore order to the chaos of the previous Bush term. Now, we feel called to return for a moment from exile near Crawford, Texas, to witness another presidential election and throw our two cents in...

We trust Sen. Barack Obama to be our next President of the United States.

But we disagree on so many of his issue positions. For instance, we want our troops out of the Middle East now. We think stronger wages — for all workers foreign and domestic living in America — should replace all future "free trade" agreements. We will support "clean coal" only when Al Gore uses his teeth to pick up the clean end of a dog turd. And we believe that this country needs to accept that Ronald Reagan was a complete idiot.

Still, we trust Obama.

Why? The junior senator from Illinois has shown us that it is not the world that must change. America must change. For decades, we have listened to money lenders like Alan Greenspan as if we wanted to return to those Paleolithic days before Joseph’s "Seven Years of Plenty and Famine." The next president must do more than let Jesus take the wheel; he must be willing to throw the free market money changers out of the temple.

Obama has paid his dues.

Given the state of our political system, Obama has still inspired citizens young and old and across religious and ethnic lines during his long-fought campaign. Nobody experienced this phenomenon better than us Texans during our hotly-contested primary season. Any political party would die for that kind of organization, drive, and commitment. Thanks to him, this next election will attract more voters than ever before.

Obama believes in you.

From what we’ve seen of him, Obama cares about his family and their well-beings. He listens to his opponents and struggles with them to find common ground. He strongly believes that America is at her best when she helps her neighbors get ahead. So for him, this election is not about him. It’s about you. How are you? Are you happy? How is your family? How is work? Are you living better than you were four or eight years ago?

Vote Obama.

We will enter our voting booths justified on Nov. 4 by asking ourselves "Who do I trust?" Obama’s opponents share the same qualities: anger, cynicism, desperation, and disrespect. Obama has shown us that he is taking a chance at losing this election to earn our trust and share future prosperity among us. He believes that those who receive the greatest material benefit from America should bear the greatest burden of maintaining her.

Stay vigilant.

The future of America is, as it has always been, in the hands of its citizenry. We would not have it any other way. It makes life more interesting — freakier — even with Barack Obama in the White House. Still, the hounds of fascism are always awake, hiding, hungry, and ready to control.

Americans must not choose between liberty and the blessings of food, rent, medicine, and life-sustaining necessities. Such grace is cheap. We must instead nourish our freedom.

Now that the Iconoclast has said its piece, it will return to its exile and gather its energy for another day. May you pursue your happiness with hope, grace, love, and decency in community.

— Nathan Diebenow, Don M. Fisher, W. Leon Smith