The Associated Press
The long campaign for the White House has exposed sometimes surprising strengths and weaknesses among the candidates. To this nation's good fortune, one candidate has emerged from that process as the steady and strong leader these times demand.
When the campaign started nearly two years ago, Americans sensed the stakes would be higher this election cycle. The country was immersed in two wars. Rising energy prices had slowed economic growth amid inflation fears. And as the hopefuls announced their intentions, a disquieting slowdown in the housing market took hold.
Few, however, would have predicted the recent meltdown of the financial sector and the prospect of a severe recession taking hold just as a new president takes office. The risk of an economic free-fall remains real. Americans face some difficult choices in the months ahead.
The person best suited to lead under these circumstances is the one most capable of inspiring Americans to have confidence in the future while also embracing change that will sometimes be difficult to accept. That person has to be intelligent, resolute and, above all, cool under pressure.
On paper, one would not expect a first-term U.S. senator from Illinois to be a person likely to bring those qualities to the nation's highest office. But over the course of an arduous campaign, that senator proved that he has the mettle – the demeanor, energy and policy positons – to lead this nation during a difficult time. As such, Sen. Barack Obama merits our endorsement for president of the United States.
BRILLIANT IN PRIMARIES
Obama ran brilliantly in the primaries against New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, one of the most able politicians of our age. He grasped early the potential of the Internet to enhance a grass-roots campaign. His positions fell solidly within the mainstream of his party. He defended them well, proving to be the best orator in the field.
It was during the fall campaign, however, that Obama demonstrated he could be, as former Secretary of State Colin Powell said recently, a transformative figure.
Obama has seized on the economic crisis as an opportunity to highlight his plans. Like all the candidates, including his Republican opponent, U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Obama has promised more than Congress and circumstance will allow him to deliver. Still, he stayed true to the approaches he outlined from the beginning, projecting confidence about the direction the country should take.
His health care plan, his proposal to cut taxes for the middle class while raising them on the wealthy and his desire to better regulate the financial markets all point in the right direction. On foreign policy, he has made his opposition to the war in Iraq a theme, but he has framed that opposition in a responsible way. He has made plain that, while he opposed the invasion of Iraq, he would not pursue an idealistic peace agenda at the expense of our national security.
Just as important as his thoughtful positions on the issues, however, are the temperament and leadership qualities that Obama displayed in recent weeks. As the news grew more sober and serious, so did Obama, shifting in his speeches from the lofty generalities that marked his early campaign to specific ideas.
And as the pressure built and the stakes grew, Obama remained calm. In the third and final presidential debate, McCain pressed him hard with negative attacks that could have proved infuriating. Instead, Obama explained himself calmly and went on to focus once again on his specific proposals to good effect.
NOT WITHOUT FLAWS
He is not a perfect candidate. His resume is especially sparse when it comes to foreign policy. And, though the issue has been overblown by his opponents, Obama's past decisions to work and worship with people who have a history of extremism reveal occasional lapses in judgment.
But Obama has also surrounded himself with some outstanding men and women, and that tendency should help him govern effectively. For example, by choosing U.S. Sen. Joe Biden as a running mate, Obama brought immediate foreign policy expertise and credibility to the ticket. The selection made clear that Obama is not afraid to work with people who may know more about a topic than he does. That's good. If he is to succeed as president, Obama will have to surround himself with exceptional people, listen to their ideas and be willing to change course when confronted with a compelling case to do so.
In this race, Americans are fortunate that they can focus on voting for a candidate rather than against one. Obama's Republican opponent is an able politician and a genuine war hero. McCain built a career around breaking with the GOP on high-profile issues, though like Obama, he is solidly within his party's mainstream.
During this campaign, however, McCain has talked a lot about his reputation as a maverick, but has veered little from his party's orthodoxy. His embracing of President Bush's tax cuts, which McCain once opposed out of concern for raising the budget deficit, is an example.
Also, as Obama has grown cooler and more steady in the face of the economic crisis, McCain has vacillated, looking for a theme – positive or negative – that could draw attention and respect away from his eloquent rival. McCain has been an able and honorable candidate, but he is not the leader the country needs at this time.
A long and hard-fought campaign has shown that inspirational leader to be Barack Obama.
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