More mindful election coverage from Elephant:
>> Seven Reasons I’m delighted with Kamala Harris’ pick for VP. LFG!
>> With Biden’s exit, a few helpful thoughts.
>> Whether I’m voting for Biden or a new candidate…I’m voting for This.
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*Elephant Journal articles represent the personal views of the authors, and can not possibly reflect Elephant Journal as a whole. Disagree with an Op-Ed or opinion? We’re happy to share your experience here.
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For the past 23 years, since I was first eligible to vote, every election year I’m usually 100 percent honed in on political coverage.

But this year has been a little different.

This year has been full of personal and professional changes. Big transformations and transitions. Blessings and struggles. And barely enough time to process it all.

Honestly, it has taken all my energy just to stay honed in on what’s going on in my small corner of the world.

And if I’m being honest, so much of what is happening in the political climate of this country has felt like too much. Too much drama. Too much hate. Too much division. Too much bluster and nonsense and embarrassment.

Too. Damn. Much.

But when President Biden chose to step down and not seek reelection last month and chose Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him, and when Harris then chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, my political antenna started to perk up a bit. This felt like the shake up our country desperately needed.

Do I think Harris and Walz are some magical dream team that’s going to fix all that ails America and the world? Of course not. No politician ever is. But do I think they are the next best step in moving us closer to the kind of country we all deserve? Yes, I do.

For the last two days, I’ve kept up with coverage of the Democratic National Convention, watching highlights on Instagram and reading news articles. And I find myself feeling more and more connected to the issues and the candidates and fellow citizens who are fighting for the issues that matter to me.

And then I woke up this morning to two speeches that flipped a little switch in me.

After seeing brief clips on the New York Times Instagram feed from Barack and Michelle Obama’s convention speeches, I pulled up YouTube, searched the full versions, and took my dog on an extra long walk just to listen.

Their words filled me with the kind of hope and gratitude and excitement that I’ve been longing to feel this election cycle. Their words painted a picture of the kind of world I want my soon-to-be-born son to grow up in. Their words made it abundantly clear why it’s so important for us to be honed in on politics and “do something.”

And it didn’t hurt that, as the New York Times account mentioned, they “eviscerated Donald Trump” in the process, simply by being honest about all he has done to divide this country. Their words were the personification of, “when they go low, we call them out on it.”

Their words were exactly what I needed to get as psyched for election day as I was the first time I cast my ballot.

I hope they can do the same for you.

Watch the full speeches below:

“Hope is making a comeback!”

“It’s up to us to remember what Kamala’s mother told her: ‘Don’t just sit around and complain. Do something.’”

“Kamala knows, like we do, that regardless of where you come from, what you look like, who you love, how you worship, or what’s in your bank account, we all deserve the opportunity to build a decent life. All of our contributions deserve to be accepted and valued. Because no one has a monopoly on what it means to be an American.”

“For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us. See, his limited, narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who happen to be Black…Who’s going to tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those ‘Black jobs’?”

“We do not need four more years of bluster and bumbling and chaos. We’ve seen that movie before, and we all know that the sequel is usually worse.”

“Here’s a 78-year-old billionaire [Trump] who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago. It has been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that’s actually been getting worse now that he is afraid of losing to Kamala. There’s the childish nicknames, the crazy conspiracy theories, this weird obsession with crowd sizes.”

“Kamala Harris won’t be focused on her problems, she’ll be focused on yours. As President, she won’t just cater to her own supporters and punish those who refuse to kiss the ring or bend the knee. She’ll work on behalf of every American. That’s who Kamala is.”

“We believe in the freedom to provide for your family if you’re willing to work hard. The freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water and send your kids to school without worrying if they’ll come home. We believe that true freedom gives each of us the right to make decisions about our own life, how we worship, what our family looks like, how many kids we have, who we marry. And we believe that freedom requires us to recognize that other people have the freedom to make choices that are different than ours. That’s okay.”

And here are some of my favorite comments from viewers:

“He and Michelle gave me hope again. We were so lucky to have them. I hope Kamala and Tim can continue what they started.” ~ herbwilliamsart

“One side offers hope, the other fear. Here’s to hope. ❤️” ~ thebookofvaughn

“The Obamas are the equivalent of a warm blanket to our cold nation. We just need to keep knitting.” ~ katrina.h3

“The choice is pretty clear. I may not agree with everything the dems do but the consequences of not voting dem are far too great.” ~ cidercik

“Do you know how to do the Harris Wal(t)z? Two steps forward and no steps back.” ~ carolyncarter1983

“Just look at the faces of all the men and women in the audience. A job well done!” ~ rosettapitts1034

“Indeed, we’re not going to just sit back and complain, we will ‘do something.'” ~ ngandwebweupe7013

“Wow!! Best speech of the night! My fave quote: ‘Kamala Harris understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward. We will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth.'” ~ halley8890

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