The 2000 Bush voter, a down-the-middle independent, who came around slowly but surely, eventually won over by Barack's reason and calm integrity --- enough to rally a bunch of his Massachusetts co-workers to come to Nashua and work on visibility, send in a few donations, and even plant a yard sign out by our mailbox. I'm so proud of my husband (thank you, Rob [pictured, left, doing election day visibility in Nashua, NH])...
...But the problem isn't Bush, it's American conservatism itself -- or at least the debased, intellectually bankrupt and utterly failed thing that American conservatism has become. For McCain to truly renounce Bush, he'd have to renounce the tax-cut ideologues who have bankrupted the country. He'd have to renounce the neoconservatives who led us into a catastrophic war. He'd have to renounce the culture-war attack dogs like Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin who have coarsened conservatism's soul.
In short, he'd have to renounce the Republican Party -- and himself.
Yes, there's some part of McCain that stands apart from the disaster that his party has become. In the past, he has courageously taken principled stands on issues ranging from taxes to immigration to torture. He has some laudable independent instincts. His barely concealed rage and frustration, as he watches himself being pulled under by the enormous suction of the sinking GOP ship, bears witness to this. But his occasional maverick stands cannot change the fact that on the key issues, McCain is a faithful supporter of George W. Bush's policies. As Obama ads incessantly remind voters, McCain himself boasted that he voted with Bush 90 percent of the time. It's too late for him now to suddenly pretend that he represents anything other than more of the same.
Presidential campaigns are, in a sense, auditions for the highest public office. Candidates not only tell voters what they intend to do if elected, but they also give a sense of the kind of leader they would be.
Over the past year - especially in recent months - Barack Obama has presented a compelling message and presence, and the Standard-Times editorial board believes he is the right choice for president.
This was not an easy decision.
John McCain has a long and distinguished record, and we do not doubt that he could serve ably in the White House. However, he has run a disappointing campaign - his audition for the presidency - most notably at the start of the financial meltdown. His Democratic opponents did not exaggerate in labeling his actions as "erratic" and "lurching."
Equally confounding was McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate. While the Alaska governor may develop into one of the Republican Party's leaders, so many Americans doubt her readiness to step into the presidency if necessary that McCain's judgment has come into question.
Even though Palin has done what McCain couldn't - energize the Republican base - that does not mean she is ready to lead the nation as president.
Critics point to Obama's relative lack of experience as a disqualifier for the highest office, and that is a legitimate argument. However, during three debates, voters saw a candidate who not only had an exceptional command of the issues but also one who demonstrated the steadiness and temperament that Americans want to see in the Oval Office.
Those are the attributes that led Colin Powell, one of the most respected people in the country, to endorse Obama's candidacy. Obama also has endured months of rumors and scurrilous attacks on everything from his race and religion to his patriotism and family history.
From the beginning, Obama's campaign has been about change. That's an easy position to take when things aren't going well, yet Obama gives reason to believe he truly understands what's needed - a new tone in Washington and leadership that will seek common ground and dramatic change.
The next president faces enormous challenges - including frightening economic conditions, overseeing two wars and ensuring the nation's security.
Even if Obama were inclined to spend as liberally as his opponents warn, the reality of a staggering $10 trillion federal debt will require extraordinary budget discipline no matter who wins on Nov. 4.
Each of those issues and many others can't be adequately addressed without a bipartisan approach that rejects Washington's tendencies to divide politicians and the people they represent for cynical purposes.
Of the two candidates, Obama has shown himself to be the most committed to more inclusive governance. His message has been especially inspirational to young people, whom he has drawn to the political process in phenomenal numbers.
The historical significance of Obama's candidacy - a black person seeking the presidency of the nation that only a few years ago allowed much of the country to effectively exclude blacks from public life - can't be denied. Yet the stakes are so high this year that the racial implications are nearly incidental.
Obama's vision for the future of the United States is the right one. We believe he has the commitment and political skills to make it a reality.
I also believe that a teenager's pregnancy is a "private family matter." In fact, I believe that every woman's pregnancy is a "private, family matter."
Like the Governor, I now also believe that my will is perfectly aligned with God's will. When Governor Palin said that it was God's will for the Alaska pipeline to be built and asked for people to pray for that to happen, I was really inspired by her confidence in the absolute, seamless integration of her will and God's will. I have begun practicing this kind of supreme confidence on a smaller scale, but I am sure that I can quickly move to national issues. Starting with the sartorial, I know that it is God's will that I have the entire Chanel collection for the fall season, including those adorable high-heeled booties that were all over the runway shows.
(A couple things I'm still having trouble with regarding the will of God: I knew it was God's will that I win the Grammy in 2007 for my last record, but Bob Dylan won. This is clearly the work of Satan, but shouldn't my will/God's will have been strong enough to override that? And this Alaska pipeline--if it is God's will to have the pipeline built, then why isn't it built already? On a related topic, I don't own a single piece of Chanel.)
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Leave Bristol out of it. She was like a lamb to the slaughter. I'm with Barack --- family members, particularly the children of the candidates, must be off-limits.
A child of a mother who's consistently backed abstinence-only sex ed, yet who is obviously fine with trading on her looks and sexuality (as a beauty queen), never had a chance.
One thing is clear: the McCain/Palin ticket, on the topic of reproductive rights, would obviously be "you play, you pay".
Bristol will be fine --- at least materially --- because she comes from privilege. Be really concerned for the economically disadvantaged American teens who are receiving the same NeoCon-approved (bogus) sex ed as Bristol did. They're the ones who will really pay the price, as will we all, for the children they bring into this world as teen parents.
Obama is going up with the first general election ad of this campaign -- airing in 18 states. It's an introductory ad, as he tries to get out front of defining himself. With soft guitar music strumming in the background, Obama speaks directly into the camera and emphasizes his "Kansas heartland" values (his mother grew up in Kansas.) And yes, he's wearing a flag pin.
The 60-second ad, "Country I love," will air go up tomorrow in Alaska (!!!), Colorado, Florida, Georgia (!!!), Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana (!!!), Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota (!!!), Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Virginia.
