"2 good men; Obama right leader for today"

October 11, 2008

The Dayton Daily News endorsed Barack for president today. The Ohio newspaper lays out why Barack is the right person to take on Washington politics and the failing economy.

In this unhappy passage, the nation faces a happy choice: a brilliant young man offering a new generation of leadership — and a remarkable turning point in the nation’s history — opposes an accomplished veteran who has punched all the right tickets in his rise toward the presidency.

Both are thoughtful, modern people alert to the real problems of the world and the nation.

…Sen. Obama’s opposition to the war goes a long way toward making the case that experience isn’t necessarily the magic ingredient in making a national leader.

…They must be comforted, though, by Sen. Obama’s cool, even masterful performance in the campaign. Nobody could have expected any more. He has made his supporters proud, as Sen. McCain has made his supporters wonder.

…Added to their vice-presidential decisions, and to the ability of the younger man to stand next to the veteran in debates and demonstrate every bit as much command of issues, the bailout incident was a suggestion of readiness.

Barack Obama has been in the public spotlight for four years (since his memorable debut speech at his party’s 2004 convention). He has withstood relentless, withering attacks. The more attacks he survives, the more comfortable people seem with the idea of him as a leader.

On the issues, he is in the liberal mainstream of the Democratic Party. He worries less about the taxes of the people at the top of the economic system than those in the middle. He unambiguously embraces decent health care as a "right." He would like to put more public resources into education and efforts to extend the American dream to those still dreaming.

He favors more regulation of Wall Street. He sees diplomacy as underused by the current president. He wants…to shape trade treaties so that they work better for American workers.

…He built his early appeal around the promise to get beyond the liberal-conservative wars, to show a level of respect for the views of others that helps build a new kind of politics. It is his most ambitious promise.

…The nation’s moment of choice arrives even as some sort of new era has arrived in the realm of the economy.

…But in a time of change, Sen. Obama is the more promising leader. With his agile mind, often pitch-perfect judgment and preternatural calm and self-confidence, he seems built for the job of sorting through this thing, if anybody can.

The nation faces a choice that looks more and more like a choice between the future and the past. It has never been one to shrink from the future.