Cushing 2016: So What Are You Voting For in November?

I already know who I'm voting for in the next election -- and no, I'm not planning on changing my mind unless his political opponent abruptly concedes and hands things over to Ron Paul, in which case I might consider it. But that's not what I'm here to babble about right now.

I'm curious -- what are you voting for? Obviously, whoever wins, the office of President will not be in the possession of the man who singlehandedly won and then lost the majority of the country's support over the course of his two terms in office. Either way, a new person will be responsible for trying to lead us out of this mess, trying to patch relations with the world, and trying to restore our faith in ourselves.

So here's my question -- and it's a question in all seriousness, so I expect you to answer in all seriousness. What is it about the candidate you plan on voting for that makes you want to vote for him specifically? What policies does he plan to enact that you support? What advantage would you gain if they were to win the presidency?

You see, I'm a negative person by nature. I'm cynical, I'm bitter, and I'm often quick to laugh at the failures of the people who somehow managed to get into positions of power without my help or support. But every now and then I have to admit to feeling a certain sense of optimism. I'd like to believe that people are voting for their favorite politician because they feel they will receive a benefit, or that the politician will do something to further a cause they support. I'd like to think that people will vote for the better person -- that people will vote FOR a candidate, not against them.

I'd like to believe that when people vote for John McCain or Barack Obama, it's because they believe he will actually make changes in the current system that will improve their way of life and support their goals. I'd like to believe that people who will vote for John McCain have a more concrete reason than 'because Barack Obama is popular, like Paris Hilton', and I'd like to believe that people who will vote for Barack Obama will not do so specifically 'because John McCain's prisoner of war experiences mean he can't count how many properties he owns'. I'd like to think that people aren't willing to sell out their beliefs over the political equivalent of trolling on the Internet. That's where you come in.

Prove my momentary optimism in human nature to be well-founded. Tell me why you are voting for a particular candidate, and what your reasons are. Tell me what could possibly make you change your mind in the next two months.

In the interest of fairness, here's my own answer:
I'm voting for Barack Obama, because I already came to the decision that I was not going to vote for a Republican in 2008 unless, by some miracle, they managed to convince me that they were going to undo the work of George W. Bush and push through policies that I can agree with. I might have considered voting Republican if Ron Paul had won the nomination, but unfortunately, his own party wasn't nearly as fond of him. I'm voting for Barack Obama because I honestly believe we need a Democratic president in office again; because I believe that he has a lower chance of being a completely corrupt politician motivated entirely by personal greed; because he actually talks to people instead of threatening to murder them in their homes. I have looked over Barack Obama's policies - foreign and domestic - and have yet to come across something that I would say I strongly oppose. I cannot say the same for his opponent. I'm Austin Cushing, and I'm voting for the politician who I believe most closely matches my views, as is my right as an American.

Now it's your turn. What are you voting for in November?