Talk about pushing buttons to write. That is exactly what this letter did for me. As much as I love the fact that a 15 year old is getting involved in the political dialogue, I have to respond to what he said.

First of all Barack Obama went to Princeton, graduated and then attended Harvard law and graduated at the top of his class. Then he spent 12 years as a constitutional professor, 8 years as a state senator and 4 years as a senator in Washington. Now I don’t know about you but with the recent attacks on our constitution, I for one would love to have someone as president who really knows the constitution. Not only that, he has worked with “normal, everyday people” in order to better their daily lives when instead he could have gone on and made big money working for huge corporations. John McCain graduated at the bottom of his class and has spent roughly 30 years in Washington. He is part of the “Washington as usual crowd,” in other words, the same crowd that he wants to throw out and shake up. Hmmm. He has been a devoted voter of deregulation and to almost all of the George Bush policies that have contributed to our current economic condition and world standing. He talks big about being against lobbyists and yet most of the people running his campaign are/or have been until VERY recently, lobbyists, including the most recent Fannie and Freddie trouble. In fact, it is pretty much the same team that worked for George Bush’s campaign. Talk about the same old song. Give me a break. Barack Obama has built his campaign from the ground up. That takes massive organizational skills. He didn’t go to the huge lobbyist firms for money. He was a relative unknown just a few years ago and yet, here he is fighting the odds- lobbyists, corporate greed, racism, and entrenched politicians. He does not succumb to knee jerk reactions and comments. What a novelty to have someone running for office who is smart, maintains his cool and is thoughtful. Unlike another candidate I know who calls for the firing of a person a president can’t fire in his effort to be the first to look presidential. He is more of what he says is wrong in Washington. I could go on but my letter is long enough. McCain wants a change? I say we oblige and send someone else.

Ann Jamison, Lebanon

Oct. 1, 2008)