Dear President-Elect Obama,
I know this letter will probably never go above this mere blog and thus the chances that this will ever be read by anyone are slim to none, but due to recent events, I feel pressured to pick up my virtual quill and write.
On November 4 2008, Americans went to the polls in record numbers to elect you by an overwhelming majority. While I (being 17 years old) couldn’t vote, had I been able to I would have voted for you both in the New York primary, and in the election. I say this not only because 8 years with Bush have made me a liberal for life, but also because I was very impressed by your “Change” platform. I believe I was not alone in choosing these as the reason you were elected. In other words, just like Bush had his base, you had yours, a base composed of true blue liberals.
However, in recent weeks, you have seemed hell bent on eliminating that base, both with your “Team of Rivals” and your choice of conservative hatemonger Rick Warren to lead the prayer at your inauguration. I have only this to day to you: don’t alienate your base! While I am not saying that you should ponder only to liberals, you dont need to bend over double backwards to ponder to the ultra right. While we all know that you were elected to lead the whole country, please don’t leave those who elected you alone.
In your book “Audacity of Hope,” you claim to be both a Christian and a Skeptic, a strong believer in evolution and science, a proponent of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) rights, and sexual freedom, and I (along with many Americans) find it very sad that the first voice that will be heard in your administration be a voice against everything you said you stand for.
I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt though, after all, you seem like a smart guy who will not be a true lapdog to the right. I just hope you can think for yourself no matter what the voices around you say.
Signed,
