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EQUAL Views for October 10, 2008

Posted on Oct 12th, 2008 by

In less than a month, Americans will go to the polls to elect a new president and vice president. Here's my own endorsement, highlighting a handful of the issues at the top of my priority list, and informed by every quadrant:

Inquiry: Who Should Be the Next US President?
Spirit: Do you sense the tilting of the World Spirit? Do you hear the earth crying? Listen to the voices of the souls yet to be born. ... Character: Obama has demonstrated a fundamental level of honesty, transparency, and fairness. Temperament: Obama shows a capacity for self-criticism and a willingness to adapt his views to changing circumstances. "First class" versus "erratic".	Age: Obama's health is unquestionable; McCain, at 72, the survivor of melanoma, is somewhat risky. ... Race: A mixed-race man breaks the race barrier. ... Foreign Travel: A president who has lived abroad and a worldly VP portends a less ethnocentric and more worldcentric pool of residual knowledge.
The Vision We Need: McCain's: ethnocentric pride, bringing Christian-right values into the public sphere, corporate tax breaks, and a vague call to service. Obama's: hope for a struggling middle class, protecting civil rights (and extending rights to same-sex couples), breaking the grip of corporate lobbyists, and encouraging national unity. ... The GOP Needs Renewal: The GOP is out of ideas and energy. Defeat will encourage the emergence of a healthier and stronger conservatism.	Leave Behind Reaganomics: Obama rejects the failed policies of "trickle down economics" and extreme deregulation, offering a much needed progressive course correction. ... Universal Healthcare: Healthcare is in major need of reform, and only Obama takes seriously the moral imperative to expand access to all who want insurance. ... Bring the Iraq War to an End: Obama wants to end the misconceived and mistaken war expediently but carefully, saving lives, treasure, and stature.
Holon of the Day: The Horse Collar