When John Kerry lost the presidency in 2004 I could not help but pray that somewhere, out there, a charismatic Democrat was lurking in the shadows waiting to save my crippled party. At the DNC America was introduced to a man who spoke with such poise that many of us were desperate enough to give him the nomination over Kerry. I’ve met John Kerry several times and if you thought he seemed awkward on television… So we Democrats danced a little bit hoping that this young Obama man would one day be our party's savior.

Here’s a little known fact about Barack Obama… Since he began his campaign for the presidency Obama has missed 80% of the vote. While the other candidates hovered around missing 50-60% of the vote, the other candidates had also served complete terms. Now with such a slim “majority”, courtesy of Joe “call me a Democrat” Lieberman (insert laughter here), it becomes tough to accomplish a Democratic agenda. So the slogan, “Change we can Believe in?” How can the American public believe that Obama is capable of creating nationwide change if he has not even showed up to influence Congressional decisions to begin with? How can we as Americans honestly believe that Obama will end partisanship without even witnessing his presence on the Senate floor?

I feel marginally crazy when I attempt to convey my grievances against Barack. I mean, don’t get me wrong, Obama is brilliant and charming. I had the privilege of witnessing Obama speak in person at the Petraeus hearings this past fall. I sat there completely enamored with this incredibly sophisticated, well spoken, and utterly gorgeous (tv does him no justice) man. Obama spoke with a clarity and confidence that literally captivated everyone in that room. It was after he finished speaking I realized he had asked the General no questions. He used his incredibly important question and answer period that was intended to help clarify the impact the surge in Iraq had, to advance his own agenda. Obama chose to talk about his anti-Iraq war stance. It was that day I fell out of love with Barack Obama.

I would never go so far as to say Hilary Clinton is the ideal candidate (I was a Biden supporter so I clearly believe in championing lost causes), but it is time America took a good hard look at Obama. How much change can we expect this man to make if we have not even seen him serve his own constituents? It is time for Americans to realize that experience and change are not mutually exclusive. I want change I can believe in, but that is the very problem; Barack Obama has given me no reason to believe in him.