Look, Obama has not been perfect. He didn’t close Guantanamo Bay. The economy hasn’t exactly bounced back in the US the way everyone would like. He didn’t meet all of the grand expectations of those who had put him up on a pedestal. But I believe that he needs to be in office for four more years.

Now, it’s terrible that one should vote for someone partly to avoid someone else from gaining power, but for all of the reasons I believe Obama should be re-elected, one of them, for me, is because of the other option: Mitt Romney and the Republicans. I will be completely honest; they scare me! The Republicans are not even the same party as when George W. Bush was in power. This is a party that I think has gone so far to the right that it is scary, partly because of the Tea Party movement.

For four years, Republicans have complained over and over again that “the left” have done nothing but blame Bush. Well, there is a reason for that. I think Bush screwed up big time. And, the Republicans know this, which is why he was barely mentioned, even by his own brother, at the Republican National Conference! He got America into two wars, simultaneously, without clear goals, and in the case of Iraq, for what I think were mostly fabricated reasons. These wars have been disastrous to the US both financially, and in terms of public relations. On top of that, the toll on America’s military has been painful, with a new generation of soldiers flooding back to the US suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders and physical injuries, and for what? These wars have been a complete failure, so much so that the fact that the war in Afghanistan continues to rage, nobody seems to want to discuss it!

I don’t feel that Obama has gotten a fair shake over the past four years. He has done something good for America with Obamacare. Unfortunately, the Republicans and their right wing brethren have done anything and everything to undermine this effort. No, Obamacare is not perfect, but it means that millions upon millions of Americans who were not previously insured for medical coverage are now insured. This is good! This is very good. Obama was able to get healthcare reform farther than any other President prior to him. This was a major accomplishment and it is good for America. Obama doesn’t deserve to be attacked for this, he deserves praise! Mind you, this is coming from someone who believes in universal health insurance and scratches his head that anyone would not believe in this concept, which exists throughout all developed and many non-developed countries, except the US, until now, and Obamacare still is not fully universal health insurance.

Frankly, the idea of handing the reigns back to the Republicans, who have, over the past four years gone even farther right than seemingly ever before, who refuse to take responsibility for the actions of George W. Bush, and who appear to have not learned one bit from his mistakes, would be foolish. When Obama went to Cairo, soon after being elected, to speak to the Muslim world to try and build a bridge and close a divide, this was seen by Republicans as a scandalous, horrible thing to do. Romney mocked Obama for “apologizing!” What? The idea that Obama would reach out to a part of the world where there is clearly a need to do so is seen as being apologetic, and therefore weak? No, what Obama did was, in fact, prudent and wise. He did what was needed to be done at the right time in history and Obama should, once again, be praised for this, not ridiculed.

I have to say flat out, I don’t believe that Mitt Romney is the right man to be President right now or possibly ever. Obama has done far better than he is given credit for, and he deserves four more years to continue with his work. This is not a time to go backwards. This is a time to continue the momentum forwards with Barack Obama at the helm. The US cannot afford the Republicans. The world cannot afford the Republicans.