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Yes, change for the better at home and abroad
Published on Sunday, Oct 19, 2008
So, yes, change, by all means, and the candidate who has articulated more clearly and persuasively the course the country should follow is Barack Obama. His presence at the head of the Democratic ticket is historic, to say the least, the first black man to stand at the cusp of capturing the White House. How solid his campaign has been, the organization, grit and, most important, the direction and themes.
Obama may be a relatively young candidate, his short resume reason for concern. His campaign reflects a heartening maturity, the premium on analysis and practicality, dealing with the world as it is.
That isn't to say his run has been flawless. He and his team have erred, say, reversing course on public financing of the campaign, hardly the stand of a new kind of politician. What has been impressive is the steady focus on the two overriding challenges facing the country: the need to repair its reputation abroad and to make a genuine bid to put its domestic house in order, from health care and education to energy and the troubled economy.
We recommend the election of Barack Obama on Nov. 4.
His opposition to the Iraq war, articulated in a 2002 speech, helped greatly to fuel his surprising rise to the party's nomination. The next president must chart a responsible exit, a task that won't be as easy as the candidate's words often suggest. Obama points to Afghanistan as the more worthy front in combating al-Qaida and its ilk. He is right, yet he has hardly proved frank about the commitment required there.
What appeals about Obama is his tone and understanding about how to advance American interests. John McCain mocks Obama for appearing too eager to engage the likes of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran. Listen carefully, and you won't hear Obama pushing something careless. He has surveyed the past eight years and recognized that attempting simply to isolate and punish adversaries is counterproductive in today's complex and interconnected world. You engage to force hard choices. You listen to gain respect and build influence.
In the 2000 campaign, George W. Bush talked about the value of humility in foreign policy. Too bad he abandoned the thought. Barack Obama rightly has picked up the banner, aware such an enlightened posture promises to make a superpower stronger.
Severe economic challenges await the next president, starting with an all-but-certain recession and the need to restructure regulation of the financial markets. Obama has put together many detailed proposals. Look back, two months, two years, two decades, and the lesson is plain: Presidencies are more about the thrust of an administration than the implementation of 20-point proposals from the campaign.
Where does Obama want to take the country? He wants to enhance the investment in education and research, essential to competitiveness in the knowledge economy. If his pledge to reduce the typical premium for health insurance by $2,500 a year is mostly guesswork, his overall plan reflects the pragmatism required to repair a costly and inefficient system of health care. He seeks to add fairness to the tax code, responding to trends in income, wealthier households doing far better, too many Americans experiencing flat paychecks in this decade.
On these and other matters, including energy, the aim is to mobilize better the country's talent and capital, grasping the indispensable role of government, reinforced by the turmoil on Wall Street in recent weeks. In a related way, such a focus on what is most important will drive his selection of federal judges and Supreme Court justices.
An Obama presidency invites worries. For instance, he must resist the protectionist impulse evident in his appearances during the Ohio primary. He should be prepared to thwart a Democratic Congress, led by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid and fully capable of excesses. Most encouraging is his growth, evident since the clashes with Hillary Clinton, in the recent debates and in the economic storm.
Regrettably, that reassuring evolution hasn't been part of John McCain's candidacy.
McCain offers much to admire, beyond the courage he displayed as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. His political life has been full of episodes in which he eschewed partisan maneuvering to advance the country's larger interests. Recall the Gang of 14 safeguarding the process for confirming federal judges or McCain touting the science confirming the need to act against global warming. He has been admirably independent-minded, and yet, in this campaign, so much of that McCain has been obscured as he has reversed course on many issues, all in an uncomfortable attempt to woo his party's base.
How discouraging, then, his selecting Sarah Palin to join him on the Republican ticket. The Alaska governor may be a quick study. Still, she is ill-prepared for the job. More, she reinforces the questions: Where does John McCain really stand? Where would he take the country? The candidate has carried enough burdens, an unpopular president and an declining economy. He can't afford to stir such doubts.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 07:49 AM, 10/19/2008
I think this is a wise choice. My only fear is that with the Democrats holding the Presidency and an overwhelming majority of Congress that they may become drunk with power.
In the 16th District there is a choice that can be made to help resolve this conflict. The Washington Elite have selected someone from Youngstown to represent the 16th District in the person of John Boccieri. Although there are many capable Democrats within the District that could have been outstanding Representatives, there is no one the Elite felt they could control so they went to Youngstown and selected Boccieri.
The Elite is headed by a ruthless politician named Rahm Emanual. Emanual and his group have spent literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in negative advertisements slandering Boccieri’s opponent and the Honorable Ralph Regula. When push comes to shove and Boccieri is faced with voting on an issue that is in conflict with the people of the District and Washington Elite, he is going to side with the Elite – the people that brought him to power.
John Boccieri is using this Office as a stepping stone. A vote for Obama and a vote against Boccieri is the right combination.
Posted 08:05 AM, 10/19/2008
I think this is a wise choice. My only fear is that with the Democrats holding the Presidency and an overwhelming majority of Congress that they may become drunk with power.
In the 16th District there is a choice that can be made to help resolve this conflict. The Washington Elite have selected someone from Youngstown to represent the 16th District in the person of John Boccieri. Although there are many capable Democrats within the District that could have been outstanding Representatives, there is no one the Elite felt they could control so they went to Youngstown and selected Boccieri.
The Elite is headed by a ruthless politician named Rahm Emanual. Emanual and his group have spent literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in negative advertisements slandering Boccieri’s opponent and the Honorable Ralph Regula. When push comes to shove and Boccieri is faced with voting on an issue that is in conflict with the people of the District and Washington Elite, he is going to side with the Elite – the people that brought him to power.
John Boccieri is using this Office as a stepping stone. A vote for Obama and a vote against Boccieri is the right combination.
Tepplin, DC
Posted 09:50 AM, 10/19/2008
The Dems in charge of both Congress and the White House will be far more beneficial to the average person than the Republicans were when they controlled both branches. All the Republicans seem to be able to focus upon is what goes on in our personal lives and our bedrooms, courtesy of the Bible-Thumping Christian Fundamentalists, and of course, their own multi-billionaire Wall Street Backers who seek to distract us from the consequences of their extreme greed and corruption. Under McCain and Palin, they have devolved even further into a minority extremist party, representing only the apparent interests of a disturbed fringe element. The Democrats are far from perfect themselves, but they will deal with the issues that matter to the general population, including the rebuilding of our infrastructure, developing alternative energy, creating new jobs, and ending the costly Bush Vendetta War in Iraq.
Posted 10:37 AM, 10/19/2008
Mike douglas is a registered democrat who has voted in every democrat primary. Big surprise he is endorsing a Democrat.
, ..
Posted 11:02 AM, 10/19/2008
Dear Don: As your criminal party said in 2004....."just get over it".......Don.
Posted 11:34 AM, 10/19/2008
When not if Obama wins Congress will run the show that is why they are so approving of everything that comes out of the first term Senator from Illinois mouth. "Yes Madam Speaker" - "No Madame Speaker" yeah it'll be great...
Posted 10:00 AM, 10/20/2008
Discouraging to select Sarah Palin as a VP candidate? May I remind the ABJ that many American women in government today as well as in the past and current women-world leaders may have been a “quick study’? Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII took the highest office in England at the age of 25 with no experience. Queen Elizabeth at the age of 26, succeeded into the highest office of England when her father passed away. Many domestic and international women leaders have come into power by choice or default.
In your editorial, you state “Obama, his short resume reason for concern”, “in combating al-Qaida, he has hardly proved frank about the commitments required there”, “An Obama presidency invites worries”.
Is there really a vote of confidence in your recommendation?
Posted 01:55 AM, 11/01/2008
Armed with an array of research showing the long-term benefits of early childhood education and intervention, Barack Obama believes in the need for expanded pre-school programs and better access to mental health professionals who can diagnose and treat behavioral and problems. Improving educational opportunities and mental health services for Ohio’s youngest residents will result in higher academic achievement, reductions in foster care and juvenile detention and long-term savings in Medicaid.
Our goals should include:
•Improving access to high-quality pre-kindergarten programs for three- and four-year-olds.
•Expanding all-day kindergarten to include every child.
•Universal assessment, screening and direct service for social and emotional problems for children ages birth to six years in Ohio.
•Increasing utilization of appropriate health services and supports.
The benefits of comprehensive care and quality pre-school have been recognized by professionals for many years. A growing body of research suggests that children who attend quality preschool programs are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college.
A recent study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland projected a return on investment of universal preschool in Ohio. Kids who attend high-quality preschool are less likely to need costly special-education programs, repeat a grade, commit juvenile crime and need public assistance, the study found. It concluded that for every $1 spent on preschool in Ohio, the state would see a return of $1.62.
A separate study, done by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, showed that behavioral and mental health problems that are diagnosed and treated during a child’s early life result in higher academic achievement, reductions in foster care and improvement in speech and language development.
School health programs include school-based mental health services.
akron, oh
Posted 08:08 AM, 11/01/2008
Beware. If this guy wins the blacks will be even more violent and destructive, thinking that Obama is going to order looser reigns and let them get away with everything to make up for 400 years of alleged oppression.
DO NOT let this guy into office.
Posted 04:39 PM, 11/04/2008
Raymond,
I'm sorry... "The blacks?"
When speaking of destructive people, you might want to just look in the mirror.
