Why I will be voting Democrat

For me, there are two main issues to consider: what I would call personal and national.

Personally, I have a set of beliefs that Obama fits closer than McCain. I believe in women's right to make decisions about their own bodies, in detailed sex education in school, in better standards of education, in lower taxes for the people who can afford them least, in more investment in research and less in war, in better access to health care and equal pay for equal work. I also am increasingly concerned about America's blindness about anthropogenic global warming - I believe we have good evidence that global warming is happening and that it is directly related to human activities. As the sole developed country who has neglected to sign the Kyoto Accord while being the largest single contributor to global greenhouse gases, I'm concerned that this neglect is going to be a major problem for the future of our nation's relationship with other countries.

For me, on the other side of the issue is my country's best interest. I suppose it comes down to my belief that this country is based on science and technology: our economy depends on scientific truths and technological innovation. Once we let those go, our status as an economic power is compromised, and I believe those are fading under the current administration. I don't see McCain (or Palin) being strong advocates for science or technology. I see them compromising on issues like creationism, a belief system with no scientific basis and with no role in science education. Once we are taught scientific untruths in a science setting, once we allow doctrine to take root, then science itself loses its conviction. Good science must be testable. Once something is presented as science which is not testable, young scientists will not learn how real science works - by debate, by evidence, and by theories which can be overthrown.

The experience issue has some power with me. I am certain that it takes time for someone new to Washington's political setting to learn how to work within the system, to learn who to contact for what concerns. McCain certainly has more of that, but Obama has Biden to help him acclimate. Obama has shown himself to be adaptable, to take in new information and respond well to it.