02-19-2008, 05:10 PM
An Obama presidency means embracing new ideas, both at home and abroad
By The Daily Star
Monday, February 18, 2008
Editorial
Recent developments in the marathon process by which the United States chooses its presidential candidates have buttressed that country's claim to greatness but also reaffirmed that it has yet to approach its full potential. Specifically, the rise of Senator Barack Obama as a viable contender for his Democratic Party's nomination has broken new ground for even America's unchallenged capacity for self-reinvention by taking it into a new domain: that of race in general and of Obama's African heritage in particular. The notion of the first black man in the Oval Office has also spurred hope that a new generation of Americans is ready to back away from some long-held assumptions about matters outside their country's borders as well, especially in the turbulent Middle East, and so to increase their own security even as they improve the lives of people in this region.
Obama's emotional expressions of profound concern for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples have been unprecedented for a major American presidential hopeful, encouraging some observers to presume that he could be the man to fix the problem at the core of the Middle East's many woes. Predictably, Obama has come under fire from some on the American right who have sought to paint him as a dangerous radical. He has also been criticized by elements of the left and of the Arab-American community, too, who claim that he has not gone far enough in addressing their concerns. This is surprising - and disappointing, too, because it fails utterly to appreciate the courage it has taken Obama to go as far as he has. It also demonstrates a myopic willingness to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Obama has moved many long-overdue conversations forward in America, and for that he deserves credit. If he wins the presidency and ends up being the man who brokers Middle East peace, he will earn even more appreciation. Repairing all that is wrong with this part of the world has always been about breaking down barriers to new ideas, and an Obama presidency would demonstrate that Americans are still capable of doing so at home, a feat that would bode well for his ability to do something similar abroad.
By The Daily Star
Monday, February 18, 2008
Editorial
Recent developments in the marathon process by which the United States chooses its presidential candidates have buttressed that country's claim to greatness but also reaffirmed that it has yet to approach its full potential. Specifically, the rise of Senator Barack Obama as a viable contender for his Democratic Party's nomination has broken new ground for even America's unchallenged capacity for self-reinvention by taking it into a new domain: that of race in general and of Obama's African heritage in particular. The notion of the first black man in the Oval Office has also spurred hope that a new generation of Americans is ready to back away from some long-held assumptions about matters outside their country's borders as well, especially in the turbulent Middle East, and so to increase their own security even as they improve the lives of people in this region.
Obama's emotional expressions of profound concern for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples have been unprecedented for a major American presidential hopeful, encouraging some observers to presume that he could be the man to fix the problem at the core of the Middle East's many woes. Predictably, Obama has come under fire from some on the American right who have sought to paint him as a dangerous radical. He has also been criticized by elements of the left and of the Arab-American community, too, who claim that he has not gone far enough in addressing their concerns. This is surprising - and disappointing, too, because it fails utterly to appreciate the courage it has taken Obama to go as far as he has. It also demonstrates a myopic willingness to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Obama has moved many long-overdue conversations forward in America, and for that he deserves credit. If he wins the presidency and ends up being the man who brokers Middle East peace, he will earn even more appreciation. Repairing all that is wrong with this part of the world has always been about breaking down barriers to new ideas, and an Obama presidency would demonstrate that Americans are still capable of doing so at home, a feat that would bode well for his ability to do something similar abroad.