Yet another question for Obama supporters...

What does "Change" mean to you?

Health care on par with other 1st world nations.

Education science and technology being back on the important list.

Reversing the trend of corporate welfare.

Laws protecting workers from exploitation.

An end to pre-emptive wars, scare tactics and fear mongering.

Being a nation that is respected in the world and actually gives a shit about the well being of its citizens rather than rhetorical masturbation regarding how awesome we are cause we love the lord.

Oh and an end to government invasion of privacy of law-abiding citizens (including marriage, reproductive rights, what you check out at the library, etc.)

No more wasting time on bullshit like "values voters", "security moms" or "joe the plumber".

And what she said ^^.

Restoration of Habeas Corpus.

Someone who's presidential speeches won't end up in books with titles like 'World's Funniest Quotes'.



Waitaminute, I'm not American...! *runs and hides*

Right on, meus frater.

Retirement of failing republican policy/ideas.

Renewal of scientific/environmental pursuits.

A return to respect for the constitution and the rights and liberties enshrined withhin.
An end to an illegal war.
Protection of a woman's right to chose what happens to her own body.
Return this country to a secular one.
Someone in the White House who is not a village idiot.
End of tax policies that favor corporations and the incredibly wealthy over the middle class.
A return to protection fo rthe environment, so we can leave a decent place for our kids and grandkids to live.
And on..
And on..
And on..

Mitch

I feel like we should compile a list from this thread and send it to the Obama campaign.

Politicians that don't think there's a Real America and a Fake America.

money in small denominations received in exchange for an equivalent sum in larger denominations

Apart from the changes listed above, I have a different idea (although I agree with Narehusu's list).

To me, change is a rejection of conservativism. For that to make sense, I should explain my ideas of conservativism. To me, to be a conservative means to be afraid, usually of things they don't understand. They don't understand how two men or two women could be in love, so they fear it and call it immoral. They don't understand wanting to be respected instead of feared on the world-stage, so they call such ideas unpatriotic. They don't want things to change, because they understand, not the world today, but the world before. They understand the world where being a white male meant being on the top of the food chain, and they fear the changes where any person, regardless of race and gender can aspire to any position.

To me, change means being open to new ideas. Not blindly accepting them, but taking a look to see if there is merit. It is trying to understand, not fearing because I don't. It means thinking critically, valuing intellectualism, understanding that the world extends beyond my little personal world, that my actions can have wide-spread effects and that I need to take responsibility for those actions.

Change means accepting that talent can come from any corner, not just from certain selective areas (bye bye, political families). It means giving an equal voice to every person. It means helping those who need help without looking down on them for needing it. It means taking the term "patriotic" and making it mean "loving a country enough to question it and hold its leaders to a higher standard." It means respecting the individual and the group at the same time. It means respecting the Constitution, but understanding that the world of the founding fathers is a far different world than the one we live in today.

This may all be a bit lofty, a bit confusing, and quite possibly a bit insane, but it what I think.

Greater respect for religious freedoms
Lower crime.
Stem cell research sanctioned by the government.
Less strict federal marijuana laws, and thus less crowding in prisons.
Better federal mandates for Prisoners' Rights.
Higher environmental standards.
Better federal mandates on car emissions.
Possibility of building inland fuel refineries.
Less frivolity in the Attorney General's office concerning unimportant cases, like the "War on Porn."
Waaay better medical insurance rates. Oh yes.
Improvement of the value of the USD.
Small business tax breaks out the wazoo and incentives therein.
Reduced food costs.
Less government money being spent on "Abstinence Education," and other stupid gestures.

A return to practical diplomacy and Kennedy-like kinglyness, i.e. an air of distinction that must be reificated in the White House. I am tired of looking at it and sighing. I want to beam pride and glory each time I think of the White House.

So, yeah that's a few things.

A leader that I'm not embarrassed of.
The restoration of America to a respectable nation in the eyes of foreign countries I'd like to someday visit.
Renewed hope that politicians actually enter public service for the good of the people and the country, and not just for personal gain.
Personal pride in being an American, which I've never had before.
A reversal of the anti-science, anti-intellectual, anti-reality policies of George W. Bush.
A reversal of the "promote my friends into highly influential and powerful positions even though they're not qualified so they can make tons of money" policies of George W. Bush.
A change in high tax brackets to redistribute some of the wealth from those who don't need it to those who do (yes, I said redistribute, and yes, that's what I meant).
A push in the direction of universal, federal healthcare. I don't think Obama will make it happen, but I want things to go in that direction and I think he does, too.
A push in the direction of actual sexual education, instead of "don't, it's sinful" sexual education, or sexual non-education, which is exactly what abstinence-only education is.
A push in the direction of equal treatment for people of all walks of life; gay, muslim, straight, christian, handicapped, intellectual, whatever.
A president who, I hope, would never, ever allow a debate about torture to become about definitions, semantics, or patriotism.
A president who, again hopefully, wouldn't use a national tragedy as an excuse to throw us into an unnecessary war just to get re-elected.
A president who I think has my best interest in mind, instead of his and his friends'.
A black man as president. I think it will be good for this country and shock us out of some of the locked away, handed down, behind closed doors de facto racism that a lot of this country still has, whether they know it or not.
An administration, or at least a president, that prides itself on providing facts and data to support its policies and decisions.
A president who was elected as the result of a grassroots campaign that was overwhelmingly positive, factual, issue based, and respectable.
A president who recognizes that there are countries in the world that don't share our values, priorities, or culture, and that those countries have a right to exist just as we do, and an end to the Bush doctrine.
A responsible, but timely, withdrawal of our men and women in Iraq.
A little less dumbing down for the lowest common denominator in this country and a little more raising of the social and intellectual bar.
Having someone in charge of this country who I feel is smarter than me. Again, haven't had this for 8 years.

Read it for yourself...

Why do you ask?

Good question. SergeantPsycho?

I'm sure he's just curious. Just like I'm curious when I ask what "change you can believe in" means to him.

Good question and I hope he answers.
I have 3 theories, let's see if one hits it:

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

1. A Republican who expected that the answer is: "OMG, I never thought about it, it's just an empty phrase!"
2. A Democrat who needs some more arguments to convince his friends.
-or maybe-
3. AN UNDECIDED VOTER. GO, GET HIM!!!!

Mythos_ said:

Katieesq said:

SergeantPsycho said:
What does "Change" mean to you?

Why do you ask?

Good question and I hope he answers.
I have 3 theories, let's see if one hits it:

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

1. A Republican who expected that the answer is: "OMG, I never thought about it, it's just an empty phrase!"
2. A Democrat who needs some more arguments to convince his friends.
-or maybe-
3. AN UNDECIDED VOTER. GO, GET HIM!!!!

there are plenty of undecided voters out there....plus I have a real big stick so don't think about attacking me

wenis said:

Mythos_ said:

Katieesq said:

SergeantPsycho said:
What does "Change" mean to you?

Why do you ask?

Good question and I hope he answers.
I have 3 theories, let's see if one hits it:

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

1. A Republican who expected that the answer is: "OMG, I never thought about it, it's just an empty phrase!"
2. A Democrat who needs some more arguments to convince his friends.
-or maybe-
3. AN UNDECIDED VOTER. GO, GET HIM!!!!

there are plenty of undecided voters out there....plus I have a real big stick so don't think about attacking me

:mocks size of "stick":

SockPuppet said:

wenis said:

Mythos_ said:

Katieesq said:

SergeantPsycho said:
What does "Change" mean to you?

Why do you ask?

Good question and I hope he answers.
I have 3 theories, let's see if one hits it:

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

1. A Republican who expected that the answer is: "OMG, I never thought about it, it's just an empty phrase!"
2. A Democrat who needs some more arguments to convince his friends.
-or maybe-
3. AN UNDECIDED VOTER. GO, GET HIM!!!!

there are plenty of undecided voters out there....plus I have a real big stick so don't think about attacking me

:mocks size of "stick":

I forgot to mention it's my boom stick...

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

Mythos_ said:

Katieesq said:

SergeantPsycho said:
What does "Change" mean to you?

Why do you ask?

Good question and I hope he answers.
I have 3 theories, let's see if one hits it:

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

1. A Republican who expected that the answer is: "OMG, I never thought about it, it's just an empty phrase!"
2. A Democrat who needs some more arguments to convince his friends.
-or maybe-
3. AN UNDECIDED VOTER. GO, GET HIM!!!!

I'm closest to #1. Personally, i'm not convinced America needs changing to be honest. A few tweaks here and there (I think an Islamic Fundementalist is more likely to blow up a bridge than drug dealer, for example), but if you compare the America of today with America of decades past, I'm sure every one can agree that things are mostly getting better. And things are a hell of a lot better here than say China or Zimbabwe, and I wouldn't hesitate to say they're better in the US than in Canada or England. Yeah, I know I might catch a lot of heat for that, but hey, that's how I feel.

But having said that, it's always interesting to hear what the other side has to say.

How about we turn this around: Now that McCain and the Great Alaskan Error have chosen to take up the "Change" mantra, what does it mean to conservtives?