Times-Republican: Obama brings message of hope, change

Obama brings message of hope, change

Open the doors and let the American people in.

WIth a philosophy of openness - from education to the economy, government to military actions - Barack Obama has based his message of hope and change on the belief that Americans want to be involved in their government.

We couldn't agree more.

In an age where closed doors, secret military posts and middle-of-the-night pork barrel votes are all too common, Obama believes we can still come together as a country, we can work together to build a better America.

It's true, his experience in running a country may not be as lengthy as that of his opponents, but perhaps that is a good thing.

Too many of the candidates already have too much "experience" in our eyes - too much "experience" manipulating the system, too much "experience" bowing to special interests and too much "exp-erience" during a previous White House stint.

Obama has what we would call more "down to earth" experience: helping in his community working as a civil rights activist, and, of course, his time in the Illinois State Senate.

The argument has also been made that Obama lacks experience dealing with foreign policy and foreign leaders. Perhaps that "lack of experience" will translate into some bold, decisive actions that actually deal with foreign issues, rather than the typical "nod and smile" philosophy.

And while many Democratic candidates have called for an immediate troop withdrawal in Iraq, Obama understands that such action would be detrimental to foreign relations, the people of Iraq and our own troops. Instead, he proposes a controlled and responsible withdrawal from Iraq that would take a couple of years to properly complete. Obama also understands that a universal healthcare plan must be practical and achievable, not a pipe dream used only to gain momentum on the campaign trail. His plan doesn't ram a national health insurance program down our throats, rather it merely guarantees access to health insurance for all Americans.

His common sense approach carries through to other issues as well: a sensible energy plan that helps reduce environmental impacts without shutting off everyone's electricity and a teacher pay program that rewards those who work hard to teach our children and doesn't reward those who don't.

Obama offers a new path, one filled with hope and change. We think it's a path worth traveling down.