This country needs a president that can lead and inspire both our people and the world after the current disappointing presidency.
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., would bring a much needed fresh perspective to the Oval Office, and along the way, appeal to students like us and attract new voters to the party.
Looking strictly at policy issues, this board would be more than happy with either Sens. Obama or Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., as president. They would both be historic and capable leaders that could steer this country in the right direction.
But for this endorsement we chose to focus on the character and the charisma of the candidates. We think being a leader is more than politics, more than policy. Obama has the strength and grace to truly appeal to the masses and inspire change in a way that our generation has never seen.
The candidates’ views on common issues such as reproductive rights, the economy, Iraq and same-sex marriage are remarkably similar. Their differences shine through most on the issues of health care and foreign policy, which demand a more nuanced look.
Obama’s health care plan would insure all children and provide for any adult that wanted it. Clinton’s would mandate health care for all Americans.
The difference here is subtle, but we appreciate that one of the wonderful things about the United States is that we allow our citizens a tremendous degree of flexibility when making personal decisions.
We would love to see all Americans insured, but we are not willing to make them do it ““ so we support Obama’s plan to use tax incentives and government funding along with private insurers to provide care for all of those that make the decision to have it.
We appreciate that Clinton was one of the few people advocating universal health care before it was popular, and we thank her for bringing it into the national spotlight. But we realize that the path to a universal system is a slow one ““ and we must make steps accordingly.
We also support Obama’s fresh view on international diplomacy. He spent a portion of his childhood growing up in Indonesia and he has a Kenyan father, which we think gives him a more authentic and well-rounded perspective on the world. And more importantly, he expressed a willingness to defy Washington conventions when approaching diplomacy with Iran.
We like Obama precisely because he does not fit the traditional mold for a president. He is young, has spent less time in the Senate, doesn’t take money from special interests, and he is idealistic.
Some could almost say that he isn’t ready to be president ““ but they would have to discount the years he spent in the trenches working as a community organizer and a state legislator. They would have to discount that he went to Harvard Law School and taught constitutional law.
We like his experience more than Clinton’s because he shows an understanding of, and a connection to, real people trying to effect real change. And we think he would be better at inspiring a tired nation and a divided Congress, and better able to unite our allies and effect international change.