Posted on 10/29/2008 4:30:32 AM PDT by Cricket24
Whether one lives in the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania, the Southern Tier of New York, or elsewhere in the United States, most Americans who will vote Nov. 4 never have seen the nation in such an uncertain position.
For all of their lives, their country has had the world’s most powerful economy, rooted not just in knowledge but in fundamental optimism.
Yet in recent months they have seen their own financial foundations — homes, jobs, access to health care and savings — erode at an alarming pace.
For all of their lives, Americans here and elsewhere have been accustomed to the United States being the world’s principal superpower, not just militarily but as a broader force for peace and greater prosperity.
Yet in recent years they have seen American global leadership wither under the yoke of a belligerent, unilateral foreign policy that has deepened traditional enmities, alienated traditional allies and rendered suspect American motives. They have found themselves saddled with two wars with uncertain prospects, at enormous expense in blood and treasure.
For all of their lives Americans have understood their country to be the global leader in innovation, industrial prowess and national development.
Yet in recent years they have seen America stand still as the world catches up. They have felt stagnant American industries stagger under innovative competition from abroad. And they have watched the steady erosion of the physical infrastructure in which they once took such pride, and have wondered at the lack of an answer from the nation’s leaders.
All of those conditions, separately, are massive issues. Together, they point to the overarching requirement for the man who will be elected president: the leadership ability to inspire Americans to rise above such unsettling jeopardy and achieve a new era of greatness.
As this campaign has progressed, it has become clearer with time that Barack Obama is well-suited to the awesome tasks ahead.
Make no mistake. John McCain is a great patriot who has served his country well. But John McCain, the candidate in this election, is not the John McCain of 2000 — the “maverick” who eschewed blind ideology in favor of a fact-based response to the nation’s problems.
Over the course of this campaign, Sen. McCain has veered from that course in order to secure the favor of the same narrow party base against which he once rebelled. His irresponsible choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate was a cynical play to the base, a case of politics before country. The vice president’s real job is to be ready to be president and Gov. Palin does not meet that requirement. It’s an indictment of Sen. McCain’s judgment that he has pretended not to know it. By contrast, Sen. Obama has selected Sen. Joe Biden, a seasoned U.S. senator with years of experience and a distinguished record in the crucible of politics, including foreign affairs, an area in which Sen. Obama has not been tested.
In fact, Sen. Obama, as his critics charge, is relatively inexperienced. But throughout the course of the long presidential campaign, he has surrounded himself with highly competent people and demonstrated a keen intellect and ideal temperament. The result is a policy pragmatism, as in economic proposals that recognize the primacy of free markets while acknowledging the need for effective regulation in the public interest — a decidedly centrist approach. Sen. McCain, by contrast, says that he is uncomfortable with economic issues and primarily touts extension and expansion of the Bush-era tax cuts — policy rooted in naﶥ ideology rather than troubling reality.
Like many residents in this region, we have a particular concern about Sen. Obama’s long-standing approval of broad abortion rights. We respect a woman’s right to choose, as do many Americans, and abortion, of course, is legal. Yet, strict rules respecting the viability of a fetus must be observed. Whether Sen. Obama fulfills his vow to work toward fewer abortions through means other than outlawing it will be a fundamental test of his veracity.
America’s daunting problems call for new leadership. In that regard Sen. Obama has the potential to be a truly transformational figure.
He has strived mightily since the beginning of his presidential campaign to keep his candidacy from being about race alone. He succeeded, for the most part, until the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Sen. Obama’s spiritual mentor, was revealed to have made fire-breathing sermons condemning the United States and white Americans, generally. Forced to address the issue, Sen. Obama did that and more in a courageous, inspiring address that will be remembered as one of the best political speeches of recent times.
Sen. Obama convincingly portrayed race in America not simply as an issue to be navigated in his own campaign, but as an underlying source of divisiveness that stands in the way of resolving hosts of other issues.
Americans interested in understanding and equitably resolving the divisiveness are well advised to weigh carefully Sen. Obama’s insightful observations about the states of mind of troubled black people and other racial and ethnic minorities, as well as what’s on the minds of troubled white people. It was refreshing to hear a politician confront the issue with such candor and sensitivity.
Sen. Obama represents a generational shift and a view definitively rooted in the future rather than the past. He will strive to heal our wounds abroad and call Americans to common purpose at home. His time is now. We urge a vote for Sen. Obama for president of the United State of America.
I’m voting democrat !!
I’ve made up my mind that it is easier to let the government govern my life in every way.... SO
I’m voting Democrat!!
I’m voting Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.
I’m voting Democrat because freedom of speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.
I’m voting Democrat because when we pull out of Iraq I trust that the bad guys will stop what they’re doing because they now think we’re good people.
I’m voting Democrat because I believe that people who can’t tell us if it will rain on Friday CAN tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don’t start driving a Prius.
I’m voting Democrat because I’m not concerned about the sla ughter of millions of babies so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.
I’m voting Democrat because I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves . They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as THEY see fit.
I’m voting Democrat because I believe liberal judges need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would NEVER get their agendas past the voters.
I’m voting Democrat because I believe that open borders and government give-a-ways to undocumented foreigners is a great way to grow a nation.
I’m voting Democrat because I’m way too irresponsible to own a gun, and I know that my local police are all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves.
I’m voting Democrat because I love the fact that I can now marry whatever I want. I’ve decided to marry my dog Rebel. As soon as polygymy is legal, I can marry Angus.
I’m voting Democrat because I believe oil companies’ profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn’t.
I’m voting Democrat because after listening to the unbiased media, I realize that my head is so firmly planted up my butt, it’s unlikely that I’ll ever have another point of view.
(Sarc: Mike)
No, thanks. And how did these geniuses conclude that an inexperienced, untested, leftist with Marxist mentors and Marxist views is the person to lead us in a crisis? If Obama’s dad had been white, Hillary would be the Democratic nominee.
Eight years ago there was a digusting editorial bashing Bush. The author was a business owner so several people called the business and/or wrote letters to the editor stating they would never eat at his establishment again. Sadly, he's still in business but I take satisfaction of never setting a foot in there since and will never. When I boycott a business, I do so forever. It may not effect their bottom line but at least I'm not helping them gain power.
Well, they did get this one right:
“Sen. Obama has the potential to be a truly transformational figure.”
I was thinking of a bumper sticker that reads:
I’m voting Democrat because I want your stuff!
Sure thing. I'll get to work on that right away. LOL!
Thanks for posting this. Now that I've tossed last nights dinner I need to go rinse my mouth and get a breath mint.
This is an international web site and many of us do not know these newspapers by name.
This is something that has bugged me a lot lately when I read quotes from newspapers unknown to me and many others.
That's the biggest reason I have hope for Tuesday.
Sorry!
Towanda, PA Bradford County
Approx. 70 miles nw of Scranton
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