1st Presidential Debate

After watching the first debates last Friday it was unnecessary for me to watch any of the media perceptions of who "won" because I was so impressed by Obama's performance that it really didn't matter to me what anyone else thought. Besides the fact that Obama spoke eloquently, directly, and confidently he mentioned some of the things that are important issues for me as a voter. At this point we have beaten Iraq, the economy and abortion (and all the rest of these "big" issues) to death. We know where the candidates stand and we have for a while now and while these issues are incredibly relevant they seem to have overshadowed others that are, in my opinion, of equal importance. As I had mentioned in an earlier post, education is a personal issue that Obama has addressed on a number of occasions. In the debate, he further emphasized the necessity of bolstering public education in urban areas in order to better prepare our children for their (and our) future. It's unnecessary to go into detail here as I have commented so often about this issue on previous posts and comments and I don't want to bore anyone to death.
The issue of American reputation in the world is the main issue that I've been struggling with recently and it will be a deciding factor in who I vote for in November. We have become a bully in the international arena and our friends at this point are few and far between. Our invasion of Iraq (and our continued and failed presence there), our war in Afghanistan, and our most recent actions in Pakistan have taken the reputation we have worked so hard for and squandered it. And while I don't expect everyone to share the same opinion there is no doubt that to some extent our reputation has suffered and needs to be remedied. Obama directly addressed this necessity in one of his answers which was refreshing because I feel as though I haven't heard enough mention of the issue in any political conversations recently. He noted that we have a long way to go and was specific on where exactly we need improve. I was thrilled that this issue was brought up because I don't think alot of people take the time to consider that even though our lives at home may not have changed because of this reputation shift, it is still important because it could compromise our legitimacy and international respect. Obama also emphasized the single lense that we look through as Americans which goes along with the reputation issue as our arrogance and superiority-complex are looked down upon by the international community. He was clear on the fact that we need to send a message to the world that we are hoping and planning to change in order to exercise better tolerance. He also noted that we have lost the inspiration that we once gave to people who hoped for a life of freedom and opportunity within our borders. Obama's reference of this issue was insightful, sentimental, and sincere. It made me believe that with him as president we could remedy our new position in the world (as a domineering, selfish country) and return to our old reputation as a beacon of liberty and opportunity.