We are reminded of a need to vote our values, which probably aligns more with the Green Party or with that of Independent Ralph Nader, but we perceive this election as too important to allow a win by the McPain-Palin ticket. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither did the empire crumble in a day. But year after year of bad leadership takes its toll and we believe that four years of McCain-Palin will be four more years of Bush-like policies, crony appointments, and poor Supreme Court appointees.

So we begin this look at the future with a look at the past. After almost eight years of a George W. Bush presidency, our nation is in peril. Due in part to Bush’s policies and (lack of) leadership, we are worse off as a nation in most major categories.

We can clearly see that the economy is in a horrendous state, far worse than it was when Bush was elected in 2000. And the status of the U.S. as the world’s economic superpower is faltering.

Our country’s infrastructure is struggling. We continue to fall behind other leading nations in health care and education. Our standing in the world is at an all-time low.

Of all the many lies told in the Bush Administration, the one that now seems to be a huge joke was his pledge in the 2000 campaign to “restore honor and dignity to the White House.” Neither honor nor dignity have graced the White House since January of 2001.

In fact, for nearly the past eight years, George W. Bush has been a huge embarrassment—from his butchery of the English language to his arrogance (and seeming unawareness of his ineptitude), from his  administration’s continuous lies to starting unnecessary wars.

And while we still believe that Barack Obama, as a member of the left wing of the Corporate Party, will fail to bring all of the changes we want and need as a nation, we feel that more of the same failed Bush policies will be more than this country can bear.

Obama has many traits we admire. He is intelligent and an eloquent speaker (two major changes from what we’ve had). He has shown a willingness to listen to all sides of an issue and compromise. (Though we worry that Obama will compromise too many times, such as his support for the FISA legislation earlier this year.) He exhibits strong leadership qualities. He has been a community organizer and fought for underdogs. He wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

Obama, unlike the current administration, doesn’t come across as condescending to the American public and he tends to place the onus of responsibility on we the people. He seems more in touch with average citizens.

We appreciate Michelle Obama as a strong woman who has the potential to follow in the footsteps of Eleanor Roosevelt and Hillary Clinton as an active First Lady who will let her opinions be known and fight for causes in which she believes.

And while Sen. Joe Biden has a tendency to put his foot in mouth, his knowledge of international affairs will be an asset as Vice President, and we feel good about his long history of fighting for people like us. And in this month of October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we have to give Biden credit for authoring the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.

As a result, we place what little faith we have left in our election system firmly on the Obama-Biden ballot, crossing our fingers that “change” was more than just a clichéd campaign slogan. Thus, the New River Voice officially endorses Barack Obama for president, in hopes that come next January, we aren’t starting up the Vancouver Voice.