PODER Magazine Endorses Barack Obama

[AlphaCentauri]

However, despite his admirable personal history and distinguished political service, this magazine believes that Barack Obama is the better choice for U.S. president on November 4th; for Latin America, for the Hispanic community, for the United States and for the world.
For one thing, the McCain of today seems to have strayed widely from the McCain of old. Of course, electoral pressures have abetted this transformation. But his reversals and hard veers to the right on issues of crucial importance (and that seemed so close to his heart) as immigration and tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans are disquieting. The hustle and bustle of the campaign has also exposed facets of his character and temper that, while useful for, and even becoming of, a maverick senator, appear ill-suited for a commander-in-chief in a time of war, economic crisis and political polarization. What is more, his claim to the moral high-ground in campaign tactics (he was on the receiving end of a vile hatchet job by the Bush political machine in the 2000 primaries), has fallen by the wayside. But this magazine's endorsement of Obama is not predicated on McCain's shortcomings. Rather, it rests on three arguments: Obama's virtues for leadership, the symbolism of his presidency, and the benefits it could yield for the U.S. Hispanic community and our hemisphere.
That Obama's intellect is first-class, no one can doubt. Few presidents in U.S. history can boast of being Editor of the Harvard Law Review and Professor of Law at the University of Chicago. His outlook is thoughtful, nuanced and open-minded, befitting of fast-paced, uncertain times and a reality that deals in shades of gray. The management of his campaign has been creative, nimble, forward-looking, and as close to flawless (despite its extraordinary length) as any in recent American political history. But what has shone through most in the last few months and the debates is that Obama appears to possess a first-class temperament as well. Obama's demeanor is collected and poised, and he reacts to even the most vitriolic criticism with a smile. In an age of rising fanaticism, his instinctive moderation is a breath of fresh air.

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