My Boy John, and My New Boy Barack

John Edwards, whom this blog endorsed for President of the United States, has finally endorsed a candidate of his own after dropping out of the race in late January. He has endorsed Barack Obama for President, after voting for him last week in North Carolina's primary.

His endorsement is well timed--as super-delegates flock to the front runner and as this much anticipated announcement is sure to detract from Hillary Clinton's overwhelming victory in West Virginia, one of the three least interesting states in the union by far (I'd argue it's top 1 or 2, but definitely up there with North Dakota and Oklahoma).


Edwards is endorsing Obama for his progressive vision. This blog's editorial board, and ergo this blog, will also endorse Barack Obama for President, now that Edwards is out of the race and the time has come for a new endorsement. Though Edward's opinion factored in slightly given this blog's previous alignment, the reasoning for this endorsement is actually quite different from Edwards' own reasons. The president is our chief negotiator, and has tremendous impact on foreign policy. Obama has shown a willingness to engage other leaders that the other candidates have not, as they espouse a hybrid elitist/cowboy diplomacy that isn't sustainable. Their refusal to engage, their aloof, haughty, holier-than-thou approach to foreign relations would continue the international embarrassment brought upon us by our current president. Our relationship with emerging economic superpowers will define the 21st century (mostly China, but to a lesser extent Europe and later India), and we need an engaged leader who commands respect, who can bring people together, and who is always willing to negotiate in good faith.

Obama's willingness to receive input, and desire to build a consensus, also factored strongly into this endorsement. Where the other candidates are arrogant, Obama willingly concedes that there are many good ideas he hasn't thought of. I believe this to be a strength, especially given the complexity of the issues our next president will have to face (especially relating to appointments, privacy issues, foreign relations, the middle east, and of course, the economy). Obama's idea to appoint a Chief Technology Adviser is a great one. While McCain can't grasp the complexity of the new economy and the emerging and constantly-in-flux world order (to dramatize foreign affairs quite a bit), and while Hillary would rather give a long rambling nonsensical rant that more or less just proves she doesn't know what an interest rate is than admit she doesn't know the long term macroeconomic implications of a plan she stole from someone else and claimed as her own, Obama is seeking ways to get the best information as fast as possible, so that he might make better decisions. He's looking forward more than any other candidate, and liberal or conservative, the 21st century requires leaders like him.

So if you haven't yet voted in a primary, help Obama defeat Senator Clinton. And when the general election comes, it is the strongest recommendation of Nobody Doesn't Like Molten Boron that you help Barack Obama defeat John McCain, who has flip-flopped so many times in the past few years that he makes John Kerry look like...hm...who never flip flops...he makes John Kerry look like Charles Montgomery Burns.

Also, a special congratulations to John Edwards, my boy, for getting 7% of the vote in West Virginia, despite the notable handicap of not having campaigned there and not having been in the race for almost four months before the election!