The Ideal Candidates of Genuine Character, Courage, and Integrity
Eremias Woldemikael
April 05, 2008
As Al Gore and George W. Bush were running for the presidency of the USA in 2000, I wished it was John McCain and Joe Lieberman that were running against each other. I remember wishing this specifically when Al Gore chose Lieberman as his vice presidential running mate. McCain versus Lieberman would have been the ideal choice for me. I had come to admire them both during the impeachment Saga of Bill Clinton. Like most Americans, although I did not particularly approve of Bill´s marital behavior, I did not believe that the price Republicans were asking him to pay for his "sins" were fair. I was looking at that time for someone who would express such sentiments with out sticking to a party script. I was looking for someone who thought independently at times even to the point of disagreeing with his or her own party. Joe Lieberman stood up at the time to scold Bill Clinton for his behavior, yet he did not vote to impeach a good president for a sexual indiscretion and subsequent failures attached to it. In my eyes, Lieberman distinguished himself as a descent and fair guy at the time.
Comparatively, I remember Hillary was blaming her Husbands behavior and subsequent problems as "Vast right wing conspiracy." I vividly remember where I was and what she looked like and what hair-cut she had. At the time, she struck me as an unfair partisan lady who failed to assume and assign responsibility to herself or her own household. When she did not know what her husband was doing, instead of asking her own husband about the allegations, she chose to blame others for inquiring about them. I do not even believe she ever apologized to the "Right Wing" of America for her comment. People did not demand from her an apology after Bill had revealed that he did have a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky. However, her character was negatively sealed for me.
After Bill Clinton´s attempt to give the word "is" multiple meanings, John McCain´s campaign on his "straight-talk express" bus was refreshingly frank. His war-time story also made him credible and distinguished man of integrity. One has got to admire a man who chooses to suffer with his men instead of leaving them behind to capitalize on his father´s high rank in the US navy. Despite his lose to Gov. Bush; the honor with which he ran his campaign was so great that I respected his character. John McCain´s other positive quality is also his insistence on going against his party if an issue goes against his conscience or against a national interest as he sees them. The books he writes are about Character and Courage. This independent nature of Lieberman and McCain has made them both the "conscience" of the Senate and their parties on moral or Ethics matters.
I disagreed with McCain and Lieberman on Iraq from the beginning. Going to Iraq was a mistake that was only envisioned by Obama. Having gone in however, McCain´s call for more troops and leveling with the American people at the beginning was correct. My favorite republican in the Senate on Iraq for the last 5 years has been Chuck Hagel seconded by McCain followed by Graham. Finally, they all succeeded in moving the president away from the Cheney-Rumsfeld strategy in Iraq. The "surge" in Iraq seems to do good militarily, but has it come too late to produce any good politically in Iraq? So far, it has mixed record. Regardless of my disagreement on Iraq however, I must say the republicans have produced a good candidate without any hint of malice or hidden suspicious agenda that Independents and Democrats can live with- although unexcitedly.
The last two Presidential elections did not have so endearing candidates in both parties. Bush is always, well… Bush. Need I say more? As to Gore and Kerry, they were both children of privilege like Bush. They all were unexciting, uninspiring, and questionable characters. Now the question is: will the democrats produce a person of character, courage, and integrity? And who is that person?
I know who that person is, it is Obama. Will they choose him as their nominee? I hope so. Lucky for us, the 2004 election propelled Obama to the spot light. So far, Obama has matched the candor of McCain in his two books. He has also matched the Character of McCain by choosing to live with and work for poor people in Chicago as a community organizer with mediocre salary when he could have made a load of money on Wall Street.
I would also like to say something about his courage and judgment. I remember back in 2002 when America needed clear-headed leadership at its time of paranoia, many Democrats lacked the backbone and judgment to stand against the ill-advised and ill-executed war in Iraq. At a time when some of us looked for their leadership, many Democrats including Hillary folded for fear of being called "unpatriotic and weak on security" by Republicans. The war was not as unpopular as it is now. Barack Obama not only had opposed it, but also had the guts to say so publicly at a rally when he did not have to as a State Senator in Illinois. He took a risk when he did not need to. If Obama was not running for the presidency, he would probably be profiled on both of McCain´s books on Character and courage.
On the question of Integrity, Obama just shines so well. His entire candidacy is all about not trying to benefit oneself at the expense of someone to the point of making him look weak. He is a man who refuses to be a ruthless political operator that says and does anything to win. Like McCain he is a man who cares not only about the outcome of campaigns, legislations, and policies; but also the process and ethics of them. That is Integrity.
If Obama and McCain end up being the nominees of their respective parties, America will have produced two ideal persons of Character as presidential nominees. For the first time in my adult life, I will be choosing for the "greater-good" candidates as opposed to the "lesser-evil", and America will be lucky for it.
I envision better four years with Obama than McCain, but at least I will not have to endure the face of McCain as I had to endure the incompetent and shameful years of Bush for the last 8 years.
P.S: Although I still admire John McCain, multiple apologies he has made to Obama after someone associated with him made insulting or evil statements have become suspicious to me. It seems like he is trying to score both ways. Jab Obama by surrogates´ hands at one time and appear as a good guy by scolding the same surrogates afterwards. Bill Cunningham´s case was fishy to me.
Comparatively, I remember Hillary was blaming her Husbands behavior and subsequent problems as "Vast right wing conspiracy." I vividly remember where I was and what she looked like and what hair-cut she had. At the time, she struck me as an unfair partisan lady who failed to assume and assign responsibility to herself or her own household. When she did not know what her husband was doing, instead of asking her own husband about the allegations, she chose to blame others for inquiring about them. I do not even believe she ever apologized to the "Right Wing" of America for her comment. People did not demand from her an apology after Bill had revealed that he did have a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky. However, her character was negatively sealed for me.
After Bill Clinton´s attempt to give the word "is" multiple meanings, John McCain´s campaign on his "straight-talk express" bus was refreshingly frank. His war-time story also made him credible and distinguished man of integrity. One has got to admire a man who chooses to suffer with his men instead of leaving them behind to capitalize on his father´s high rank in the US navy. Despite his lose to Gov. Bush; the honor with which he ran his campaign was so great that I respected his character. John McCain´s other positive quality is also his insistence on going against his party if an issue goes against his conscience or against a national interest as he sees them. The books he writes are about Character and Courage. This independent nature of Lieberman and McCain has made them both the "conscience" of the Senate and their parties on moral or Ethics matters.
I disagreed with McCain and Lieberman on Iraq from the beginning. Going to Iraq was a mistake that was only envisioned by Obama. Having gone in however, McCain´s call for more troops and leveling with the American people at the beginning was correct. My favorite republican in the Senate on Iraq for the last 5 years has been Chuck Hagel seconded by McCain followed by Graham. Finally, they all succeeded in moving the president away from the Cheney-Rumsfeld strategy in Iraq. The "surge" in Iraq seems to do good militarily, but has it come too late to produce any good politically in Iraq? So far, it has mixed record. Regardless of my disagreement on Iraq however, I must say the republicans have produced a good candidate without any hint of malice or hidden suspicious agenda that Independents and Democrats can live with- although unexcitedly.
The last two Presidential elections did not have so endearing candidates in both parties. Bush is always, well… Bush. Need I say more? As to Gore and Kerry, they were both children of privilege like Bush. They all were unexciting, uninspiring, and questionable characters. Now the question is: will the democrats produce a person of character, courage, and integrity? And who is that person?
I know who that person is, it is Obama. Will they choose him as their nominee? I hope so. Lucky for us, the 2004 election propelled Obama to the spot light. So far, Obama has matched the candor of McCain in his two books. He has also matched the Character of McCain by choosing to live with and work for poor people in Chicago as a community organizer with mediocre salary when he could have made a load of money on Wall Street.
I would also like to say something about his courage and judgment. I remember back in 2002 when America needed clear-headed leadership at its time of paranoia, many Democrats lacked the backbone and judgment to stand against the ill-advised and ill-executed war in Iraq. At a time when some of us looked for their leadership, many Democrats including Hillary folded for fear of being called "unpatriotic and weak on security" by Republicans. The war was not as unpopular as it is now. Barack Obama not only had opposed it, but also had the guts to say so publicly at a rally when he did not have to as a State Senator in Illinois. He took a risk when he did not need to. If Obama was not running for the presidency, he would probably be profiled on both of McCain´s books on Character and courage.
On the question of Integrity, Obama just shines so well. His entire candidacy is all about not trying to benefit oneself at the expense of someone to the point of making him look weak. He is a man who refuses to be a ruthless political operator that says and does anything to win. Like McCain he is a man who cares not only about the outcome of campaigns, legislations, and policies; but also the process and ethics of them. That is Integrity.
If Obama and McCain end up being the nominees of their respective parties, America will have produced two ideal persons of Character as presidential nominees. For the first time in my adult life, I will be choosing for the "greater-good" candidates as opposed to the "lesser-evil", and America will be lucky for it.
I envision better four years with Obama than McCain, but at least I will not have to endure the face of McCain as I had to endure the incompetent and shameful years of Bush for the last 8 years.
P.S: Although I still admire John McCain, multiple apologies he has made to Obama after someone associated with him made insulting or evil statements have become suspicious to me. It seems like he is trying to score both ways. Jab Obama by surrogates´ hands at one time and appear as a good guy by scolding the same surrogates afterwards. Bill Cunningham´s case was fishy to me.
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