Change has come
Anyone who knows me personally through friends on MySpace or Facebook knows that I'm a Hillary Clinton supporter. Not just someone who says I support Hillary Clinton, but someone who donates to her campaign, blogs on her Web site and genuinely believes that she should be a great president for our country.
When Barack Obama beat her in the primaries, I felt like the love of my life just broke up with me for my best friend.
I was so crushed that when I was contacted by the Barack Obama campaign to help volunteer, I told them it was too soon and I needed some healing.
Me and my fellow Hillary bloggers cannot seem to let it go; there is even a Web site devoted to letting people know which states you were able to write Hillary Clinton in for the presidential election. I watched all the debates between Obama and McCain. I went to the Obama rally in Ault Park. I did everything in my power to support Barack Obama.
Because I am an African-American man, people would ask me how come I did not support Obama, with us sharing the same race. I would reply politics is more than about race to me.
I am glad to see that America has evolved into a country where it is possible to have a president that does not have to be a white male. But that does not mean that Obama automatically gets my vote because he is - let's remember - half African-American and half white. Does that mean all white men should vote for John McCain?
Every time Obama would win my vote, the right would do something to make me say: where is Hillary when we need her? Example: After Obama's speech where he accepted the DNC nomination as candidate for president, the very next day the right announced Sarah Palin as the vice presidential candidate.
The reason why I'm writing this is: up until Election Day I had no clue if was going to vote for Obama or write in Hillary Clinton. The way I figure it is my vote did not count. I live in Kentucky, which was a projected red state - Obama did not even beat Hillary in the primary in Kentucky, so my vote for Obama really was not going to win him the election. In my mind at least, I would be standing up for what I believe in and voting for the candidate whom I feel would be best for this country.
I woke up at 5:30 a.m. on Election Day still confused. I always get to the polls at 6 a.m. because I want to get it over with and not have to spend my day trying to fit voting in. Lots of other people had the same idea as I did.
I vote on Scoot Street in Covington, a primarily African-American community. I was in line with about 30-plus 50- to 65-year-old African-American men and women who all grew up in the neighborhood where the poll was.
It was like something that I have never seen before in my life. This group of people were congregating and fellowshipping, remembering the old days and how far this country had come.
But the thing that stuck with me most is when a lady said to me, "Young man, this is a great day. You know that we were not even allowed to attend school here with the white kids, and now we are here voting in the same school for Barack Obama to be the first African-American president?"
At that moment the question was answered, and I'm glad to report that I voted for Barack Obama to be president of the United States.
Tarris Horton is a senior at NKU. Some people know him by Troy or T-roy, but his government name is Tarris and that is the name that he prefers. He works for Verizon Wireless, but you might see him out around town networking and promoting his production and promotions company, Country Boy Entertainment.
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