Notes from the Desk Obama's got the right stuff

Author: Jeff Klein

This past Sunday, the Obama campaign got an enormous boost from an official endorsement by one of the most respected political figures in the country, Colin Powell. Powell toted Senator Obama as a "transformational figure. He is a new generation coming onto the world stage, onto the American stage."

But even more astute was another comment Powell made of Obama, in which he stated that Obama has "displayed a steadiness, an intellectual curiosity, a depth of knowledge." That statement could not have been more on the money, and it epitomizes the issues that I'd like to discuss in further detail.

Simply put, in these most extraordinary of times, we need an intelligent president. One that, unlike our current president George Bush and Republican nominee John McCain, recognizes that not every issue is black and white, that - believe it or not - some issues actually require complex reasoning and analysis. Moreover, we need a president who understands that the dreaded "flip-flop" label, which Republicans so shamelessly attached to John Kerry back in 2004, can actually have a positive connotation. It means that you have the intellectual capacity and sound judgment to adjust to changing circumstances and make the correct decision, the very quality that George Bush sorely lacks. But hey, at least he's a "strong, decisive leader" that makes decisions straight from the gut. That's gotten our country so far, right?

In a recent interview with Matt Lauer on the Today Show, Obama proved exactly how his ability to think critically about complex issues and adjust his positions to changing circumstances would benefit the country. After Lauer pointed out that U.S. officials and Iraqi officials have been negotiating an agreement whereby U.S. combat troops would leave Iraq by the end of 2011 - an agreement that would conflict with Obama's stated withdrawal timeline of 2010 - he asked if such an agreement, if formalized, would become meaningless in an Obama presidency. In other words, would Obama still try to impose his current position on the country and pull out of Iraq by 2010? Obama answered, "If I ever make a determination that the American people will be safer by me making adjustments, I will make those adjustments because that's my job. My assessment right now is that in 16 months, we can have our combat troops out. We will still have a residual force there." Can you ever imagine McCain giving such a thoughtful, candid answer? In a similar situation, he would probably regurgitate for the umpteenth time that "My friends, I will make sure we win the war in Iraq and win it with honor."

Thus, the need to elect an intelligent leader should be paramount to voters' decision of whom to vote for. It is a sad reflection on our society that in fact many people base their decision on who should hold the highest office in the land on mostly irrelevant issues. While I have no exact statistics to confirm my point, I think it is reasonable to assume to make that numerous citizens throughout the country who plan on voting for McCain are doing so based on the misguided notion that Obama somehow lacks "family values" or isn't a "true American." What does that even mean? And more to the point, why do so many people fall into the trap of letting those shallow, uninformed beliefs overshadow what we should focus on: who has the ability to make the most well-informed, reasoned decisions that will benefit our country as a whole? To take a specific example of misplaced priorities that particularly irk me, I can only look on in incredulity when I read that there are actually people who would vote against Obama and all he brings to the table because their priest told them that it would be a sin to vote for the pro-choice candidate. I mean, seriously? I consider myself fairly religious, but that is the type of fear-mongering that inhibits the electorate's ability to make a rational, informed decision on who would make the best president.

What I'm trying to say is that in less than two weeks, we have a decision to make that will substantially affect the future of our country. Beginning on January 20, 2009, will our country be led by an impulsive, erratic, "every issue is black and white" President McCain, or will it be led by, as Colin Powell so nicely summarized, a man who displays steadiness, intellectual curiosity, and a depth of knowledge - a leader by the name of President Obama? For the sake of our country, I hope that it is the latter.