A month from now we will all know who our next president will be. We’ll be either celebrating or wringing our hands. Here is what I would be celebrating: that an alert, intelligent, fresh-thinking, culturally-informed, internationally-aware pair of gifted, practical-minded individuals with demonstrated leadership skills are going to lead our nation back into national sanity and its respected global role.
I am talking about Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The debates thus far have shown that each of these two men have the brains, the energy, the peer support, and the common sense to lead our limping society back into functionality.
As a person who reads/watches more than just the mainstream media, explores among many respected blog sites, reads geopolitical literature, and pays very close attention to the back stories in this election season, I feel as confident as I’ve ever felt about anything that Obama and Biden have what it takes to make a measurable difference in the quality and safety of Americans’ lives. Even in the current chaotic economic climate, it seems logical to me that Obama and Biden will be able to turn conditions around in a reasonable and beneficial direction.
My personal research into the Obama and the McCain campaigns show me that the former can be counted on to think and make decisions with a clear head, whereas the latter has already demonstrated repeatedly that it can’t maintain a straight course, keep its concentration, nor communicate effectively, and in fact has a record of sabotaging itself when circumstances become really stressful. My years as a social worker, helping people re-find their footing and become able to move forward in their lives, tell me that Obama’s years as a community organizer are important qualifications for knowing how to make a positive difference in any system, small or very very large.
My years living and working in other countries, at times with my young children, inform me about the knowledge, wisdom, and maturity one gains by experiencing another culture close up, as Obama did while living with his mother in Indonesia. My years operating a small business appreciate a leader who recognizes the central role of entrepreneurship in our culture, rather than just corporate power. Being a female struggling at times as a single mom makes me yearn for an administration that acknowledges, and actively advocates for, an easier lot for women and children.
Most basically, my six decades as a very attentive American leave me hungry for a national leadership team that values honesty and transparency in government, respect for the little guy, and thoughtful, informed decision-making. I place my hard-won trust in Team Obama-Biden.
Paula Widmer
Wilton
