If I Were Barack Obama.... |
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Copyright © 2008 Soy-n-Joy® If I Were Barack Obama.... Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico, in his endorsement speech for Barack Obama as the candidate for Democratic presidential nomination, praised Obama's leadership as demonstrating "courage, wisdom, and judgment." Wisdom and good judgment will help you read people and events well and make good decisions. Courage will enable you to act on those decisions. Making good decisions and having the courage to act afford you the opportunity of personal achievements. But "courage, wisdom, and judgment" are not sufficient for great leadership, when the interests of a nation or the world are at stake. The Confucian definition of great leadership calls for an overriding credential: Conscience. If I were Barack Obama, I would reassure voters that my decisions and actions were invariably guided by my conscience. I am running for president of the United States, because my conscience tells me that I have a moral obligation to do so. I am for universal healthcare, not only because it helps me win votes, but also because I feel strongly for the well-being of my fellow countrymen. I advocate gun control, not only because it is irrelevant now for American citizens to bear arms to ward off any possibility of returning British colonialists destroying our independence, but also it is the commonsense thing to do to change our habits, to keep powerful assault weapons away from convenient reach, in order to minimize the loss of innocent lives under impulsive circumstances. Most important of all, I stand for fairness, the strongest single value of Americans, and so of me. I oppose calls from within the Democratic party for my honorable opponent, Senator Clinton, to quit the race for presidential nomination, because such collective pressure on individual free will is against my belief in individualism. In all fairness, she should have a choice of her own free will whether to stay in the race or not. I shall not stand in the way of Senator Clinton's call for Democratic primary re-votes in Florida and Michigan, because I believe in the right of political expression of voters in the two states, and they should not be denied the democratic right of participating in picking their Democratic presidential nominee, like what voters in other states can do. I shall call for the abolition of Super Delegates in the Democratic party, because their very existence is an insult to "one person, one vote" democracy and unfair to regular party members. I shall also be fair to voters. I appreciate Senator Tom Daschle's advice for me to exploit the window of opportunity of my lack of an assailable track record to campaign for the presidency, but I also feel an obligation to let voters know what I intend to do, concretely, to help better their future if they choose to elect me. Even if they do not elect me this time, I know realistically, given my young age, that I shall have at least five, if not six, more shots at the presidency, before my body says no. I shall speak of not only the need for change, but also the substance of change and what it takes to change, and speak of not only hope, but also a vivid vision of where I am leading them to, the achievable long-term and near-term goals consistent with that vision, and an actionable strategy to achieve those goals and vision. I shall be acting in good faith to deliver on my promises, and clear my name of dosing out "sweet nothings." When guided by my conscience, I feel empowered to point out a "way" that inspires realistic hope in people. If I were elected president, I would engage in meaningful dialogues with other world leaders to find solutions for climate change, renewable energy, trade issues, cultural clashes, and sustainable peace. Letting my conscience preside over courage, wisdom, and judgment, I feel the peace of mind that allows me to act confidently, speak eloquently, and sleep soundly at night. Even if I were awaken by an unexpected phone call at 3 a.m., I would still feel the internal strength and have the principled mind to deal calmly with any emergency that might pop up anywhere in the world and affect American and global interests. Realistically, if I want to assure Democrats the win in November, I do not mind to appear on the same presidential ticket with Senator Clinton, whoever wins the nomination. My conscience tells me to act like a statesman, not narrow politician or tribal personality, in the best interest of the people of America and the world, both for now and for generations to come. The Chinese describe conscience as stemming from the sacred piece of "farmland in the heart." What you allow to plant and thrive there is of your own choosing. And you will reap what you sow. So Barack, will you exercise your "courage, wisdom, and judgment," to demonstrate to the world what the true color of your conscience is like? First Posted 4-18-08 If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail us at contactus@soynjoy.net. |