On February 10, 2007, Barack Obama announced his candidacy for president. On April 25th of the same year, John McCain followed suit. It has now been 20 and 18 months, respectively, since these announcements were made, and next Tuesday, America will make a decision.
The questions at stake are not trivial. Will we step forward and embrace the future with modern, forward-thinking government, or will we cling to a 20th-century philosophy of politics whose time is over? If we are to take on the great challenges, fight the hard battles, and look forward and not backward, the choice is clear: Barack Obama deserves our support for president.
Throughout the campaign, Obama has demonstrated his understanding of the critical issues of our time. From advocating for a middle-class tax cut to reignite the economy, to pushing for stricter scrutiny of a culture of excess on Wall Street that has led us to the brink of economic disaster, to promoting a responsible plan to exit Iraq and shore up our security, Obama has shown leadership. When he ran for Senate, he strongly argued against the invasion of Iraq. The position was unpopular at the time, but history has proven his judgment and foresight to be wise.
Obama's understanding of the middle and working classes as being the engine of economic growth in our society is not grounded only in academic knowledge (although no one would dispute Obama's credentials there) but in his personal experiences growing up in a middle-class, single-parent home, working as a community organizer in poor areas of Chicago, and striving to live the American dream.
The policies Obama advocates are forward thinking and comprehensive, rather than regressive and reactive. Consider his energy policies. Obama recognizes the need for broad goals. His plan includes drilling, to be sure, but also involves expansion of wind, solar, hydroelectric, and other power sources. Additionally, it features investments in private-sector development of green technologies, which will reduce America's dependence on foreign oil (a necessity in a time of global tension) and create jobs at home that are sorely needed to shore up today's economy.
The Republican response of "Drill baby, drill" is simply not an effective and sustainable plan to secure our energy future. It is a 20th-century mindset, and the country needs a 21st-century energy policy. If campaigns reflect governing strategy, the differences are telling. Obama's campaign has been well organized, inclusive, and innovative, while McCain's has been disorganized and reactionary. Most Americans would agree that the former traits are preferable when it comes to government.
John McCain has served his country admirably. No one questions his wartime dedication to America or disrespects the sacrifices he made. On the critical issues of our time, however, McCain's positions are flawed. He has tried to run a campaign based on frightening Americans with the prospect of "big government" when the American people know that it is not "big government" or "small government" which is the problem.
Rather, the problem is a lack of "good government." We need a government that puts money back in the hands of the middle-class taxpayers who earned it, not in the hands of large corporations that donate to political campaigns. We need a government that is responsive to crises, both immediate and long term. Hurricane Katrina and the federal response to it demonstrated with tragic clarity the need for effective government not run by those with friends in high places, but by qualified individuals committed to public service. The modern Republican Party has demonstrated only a desire to squash government, not a plan to make it better.
We need a change of thinking in Washington. We need an Obama presidency, and we need to give him a functional majority in the House and Senate in order to achieve a better future. We need to support candidates like Tom Allen and Chellie Pingree, who have served Maine with distinction in the past and are ready to do it again. At this moment in history, it is the Democrats who have the right philosophy to lead America forward.
While both parties have grand historical traditions, the sad reality of our time is that the contemporary Republican Party is not the party of Lincoln, but rather, the party of Bush. John McCain and our current president, whatever subtle differences may exist, share the same governing philosophy that has failed America in the past and will continue to do so as long is its followers hold power.
The choice is clear, and on November 4, we have the opportunity to demonstrate loudly and clearly we must return to government of the people, by the people, and for the people. As Obama put it, "This is our moment. This is our time." Remember to vote on Tuesday.
Eamonn Hart '09 is a co-communications director for the Bowdoin College Democrats.