For president: Barack Obama

Every four years we hear how the presidential election is pivotal, one of the most important in history. By now the refrain should be too old to garner much attention.

Only this time, there is a very real sense in America that this election is indeed historic and pivotal. Americans feel the need for new leadership, a renewal of our national spirit, and a desperate need to pull together in tough times.

This election is about such needs, not individual planks in a campaign platform. That’s why the Herald endorses Barack Obama for president.

Campaign promises to enact certain policies are fleeting things, as Americans well know. Realities and events drive what actually happens after an election.

Still, there is a need for specific new direction in some areas. America needs to move away from the Bush model of foreign policy marked by confrontation and aggressive use of American military power and toward a policy based on diplomacy backed by strength. America needs a government that takes seriously its role of “referee” in the free market, protecting against abuses and exploitation while at the same time not stifling entrepreneurial spirit.

Barack Obama has the proper vision of America’s role in the world and the role of its government at home to establish sensible policies in these areas.

America had widespread sympathy and support around the world after the 9-11 attacks. That support has evaporated due to the policies it has pursued. Obama would be in a position to restore America’s credibility among its allies and friends.

Restoring health to the nation’s economy will be even more difficult considering the mess that the nation finds itself in at this point. It will likely require patience, sacrifice and a positive attitude from the American people. That will require inspirational leadership from the nation’s president, and there is every reason to believe that is Obama’s greatest strength.

In some ways, the situation is similar to 1980, when Jimmy Carter’s failed presidency faced the candidacy of Ronald Reagan. The nation’s eventual recovery and the enduring popularity of Reagan were not so much due to the specific policies he adopted, but in how he inspired the nation and brought out the best in its people. Obama has the chance to be such a transformational figure at a time when the nation desperately needs one.

There is no doubt that Sen. John McCain is an American hero who has served his country admirably. But the McCain of today bears little resemblance to the McCain of 2000 when he was at the peak of his “maverick” status. And at a time when the nation needs inspirational leadership and a new direction, McCain is offering less of a vision for America than he is offering reasons why his opponent should be disqualified by the voters.

The nation needs more than that and Obama offers the best chance to deliver on the kind of leadership we need.

Is Obama a risky pick? All presidential elections entail risk. Obama’s challenge will be to govern not from the left wing of his party, but from the center, as the American people want. If he is elected he will most certainly have a Democratic Congress. He must not be a rubber stamp for that body but serve to check its excesses.

In other words, he needs to lead. We think he deserves the chance.