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These are qualities American leadership has sorely lacked for close to a
decade. The U.S. Constitution, more than two centuries old, now offers the
world one of its more mature and certainly most stable governments, but our political culture is still struggling to shake off a brash and unseemly
adolescence. In George W. Bush, the executive branch turned its back on an adult role in the nation and the world and retreated into self-absorbed
unilateralism.
John McCain distinguished himself through much of the Bush presidency by
speaking out against reckless and self-defeating policies. He earned The
Times' respect, and our endorsement in the California Republican primary,
for his denunciation of torture, his readiness to close the detention center
at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and his willingness to buck his party on issues
such as immigration reform. But the man known for his sense of honor and
consistency has since announced that he wouldn't vote for his own
immigration bill, and he redefined "torture" in such a disingenuous way as
to nearly embrace what he once abhorred.
Indeed, the presidential campaign has rendered McCain nearly unrecognizable. His selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate was, as a short-term political tactic, brilliant. It was also irresponsible, as Palin is the most unqualified vice presidential nominee of a major party in living memory. The decision calls into question just what kind of thinking -- if that's the
appropriate word -- would drive the White House in a McCain presidency.
Fortunately, the public has shown more discernment, and the early enthusiasm for Palin has given way to national ridicule of her candidacy and McCain's judgment.
Obama's selection also was telling. He might have scored a steeper bump in the polls by making a more dramatic choice than the capable and experienced Joe Biden. But for all the excitement of his own candidacy, Obama has offered more competence than drama.
He is no lone rider. He is a consensus builder, a leader. As a
constitutional scholar, he has articulated a respect for the rule of law and
the limited power of the executive that make him the best hope of restoring
balance and process to the Justice Department. He is a Democrat, leaning
further left than right, and that should be reflected in his nominees to the
U.S. Supreme Court. This is a good thing; the court operates best when it is
ideologically balanced. With its present alignment at seven justices named
by Republicans and two by Democrats, it is due for a tug from the left.
We are not sanguine about Obama's economic policies. He speaks with populist sweep about taxing oil companies to give middle-class families rebates that of course they would welcome, but would be far too small to stimulate the economy. His ideas on taxation do not stray far from those put forward by Democrats over the last several decades. His response to the most recent, and drastic, fallout of the sub- prime mortgage meltdown has been appropriately cautious; this is uncharted territory, and Obama is not a
master of economic theory or practice.
And that's fine. Obama inspires confidence not so much in his grasp of Wall
Street finance, but in his acknowledgment of and comfort with his lack of
expertise. He will not be one to forge far-reaching economic policy without
sounding out the best thinkers and practitioners, and he has many at his
disposal. He has won the backing of some on Wall Street not because he's one of them, but because they recognize his talent for extracting from a broad range of proposals a coherent and workable program.
On paper, McCain presents the type of economic program The Times has
repeatedly backed: One that would ease the tax burden on business and other high earners most likely to invest in the economy and hire new workers. But he has been disturbingly unfocused in his response to the current financial situation, rushing to "suspend" his campaign and take action (although just what action never became clear). Having little to contribute, he instead chose to exploit the crisis.
We may one day look back on this presidential campaign in wonder. We may marvel that Obama's critics called him an elitist, as if an Ivy League
education were a source of embarrassment, and belittled his eloquence, as if a gift with words were suddenly a defect. In fact, Obama is educated and
eloquent, sober and exciting, steady and mature. He represents the nation as it is, and as it aspires to be.
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CHICAGO TRIBUNE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS 161 YEAR HISTORY ENDORSES DEMOCRAT: OBAMA!
However this election turns out, it will dramatically advance America's slow
progress toward equality and inclusion. It took Abraham Lincoln's
extraordinary courage in the Civil War to get us here. It took an epic
battle to secure women the right to vote. It took the perseverance of the
civil rights movement. Now we have an election in which we will choose the
first African-American president . . . or the first female vice president.
In recent weeks it has been easy to lose sight of this history in the
making. Americans are focused on the greatest threat to the world economic system in 80 years. They feel a personal vulnerability the likes of which they haven't experienced since Sept. 11, 2001. It's a different kind of
vulnerability. Unlike Sept. 11, the economic threat hasn't forged a common
bond in this nation. It has fed anger, fear and mistrust.
On Nov. 4 we're going to elect a president to lead us through a perilous
time and restore in us a common sense of national purpose.
The strongest candidate to do that is Sen. Barack Obama. The Tribune is
proud to endorse him today for president of the United States.
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