Our View: McCain is our choice
Our View: Senator brings experience to unsettling times
The 2008 presidential election is historical on several levels, the most familiar being that no matter who wins, a social barrier will fall. The nation will have either its first African-American president or its first female vice president.
But a divisive war and a stumbling economy magnify the stakes of this election, the first in more than half a century in which nobody on the ballot is a sitting or past president or vice president. Experience will be in limited supply.
Sen. Barack Obama is an impressive political figure, but his rapid rise to eminence has left Americans with large gaps of information about him and put him at a disadvantage. John McCain's long service has armed him with a broader grasp of federal issues, which in turn gives voters a more detailed picture of him.
At times, though, the current campaign almost seems to be between Obama and Palin, the two fresh and attention-getting faces who would set political precedents. Given McCain's age and health record, the choice of Palin as his running mate is troublesome. Next to her, Obama is an elder statesman.
But she is not running for president. Obama is, and between him and McCain, voters should choose the one who is ready to grapple with major problems.
Out of an initial field that included dozens of presidential hopefuls, both finalists have distinguished themselves by a reassuring willingness to put effectiveness ahead of partisanship. And while the promise of a positive campaign has given way to its share of nastiness, that has been mitigated by occasional glimpses of courtesy and respect (by Obama for McCain's service to country, by McCain for the historic implications of Obama's nomination).
Once in office, either candidate would probably bring a collaborative approach to the job. But big issues require more than that.
In managing the Middle East conflict, Obama and McCain both offer the country better leadership than it's had the past eight years. Obama's early opposition to the war in Iraq has proved correct, but the unpopular war is now a reality, and McCain's experience equips him to manage that conflict to an honorable conclusion. His call for an increase in troop levels, ultimately adopted by the Bush administration, has produced improvement, and his principled stand against torture – at odds with the Bush-Cheney outlook – reflects a commitment to traditional U.S. principles, which should help restore some of the world respect the United States has lost.
At home, rapidly eroding economic conditions call for a firm, thoughtful and bipartisan response. That's more likely if a fiscally conservative Republican is in the White House to counterbalance the Democrat-dominated Congress.
At this historic moment, the United States needs a president whose leadership is not just a matter of promise, but a matter of record. In this case, that means John McCain.
