posted on February 2, 2008 04:02:02 PM
Some good quotes from Pres. Eisenhower in this column:
Why I'm Backing Obama
By Susan Eisenhower
Saturday, February 2, 2008; A15
Forty-seven years ago, my grandfather Dwight D. Eisenhower bid farewell to a
nation he had served for more than five decades. In his televised address,
Ike famously coined the term "military-industrial complex," and he offered
advice that is still relevant today. "As we peer into society's future," he
said, we "must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering, for our
own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot
mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss
also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive
for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow
"
Today we are engaged in a debate about these very issues. Deep in America's
heart, I believe, is the nagging fear that our best years as a nation may be
over. We are disliked overseas and feel insecure at home. We watch as our
federal budget hemorrhages red ink and our civil liberties are eroded.
Crises in energy, health care and education threaten our way of life and our
ability to compete internationally. There are also the issues of a costly,
unpopular war; a long-neglected infrastructure; and an aging and
increasingly needy population.
I am not alone in worrying that my generation will fail to do what my
grandfather's did so well: Leave America a better, stronger place than the
one it found.
Given the magnitude of these issues and the cost of addressing them, our
next president must be able to bring about a sense of national unity and
change. As we no longer have the financial resources to address all these
problems comprehensively and simultaneously, setting priorities will be
essential. With hard work, much can be done.
The biggest barrier to rolling up our sleeves and preparing for a better
future is our own apathy, fear or immobility. We have been living in a
zero-sum political environment where all heads have been lowered to avert
being lopped off by angry, noisy extremists. I am convinced that Barack
Obama is the one presidential candidate today who can encourage ordinary
Americans to stand straight again; he is a man who can salve our national
wounds and both inspire and pursue genuine bipartisan cooperation. Just as
important, Obama can assure the world and Americans that this great nation's
impulses are still free, open, fair and broad-minded.
No measures to avert the serious, looming consequences can be taken without
this sense of renewal. Uncommon political courage will be required. Yet this
courage can be summoned only if something profoundly different transpires.
Putting America first -- ahead of our own selfish interests -- must be our
national priority if we are to retain our capacity to lead.
The last time the United States had an open election was 1952. My
grandfather was pursued by both political parties and eventually became the
Republican nominee. Despite being a charismatic war hero, he did not have an
easy ride to the nomination. He went on to win the presidency -- with the
indispensable help of a "Democrats for Eisenhower" movement. These crossover
voters were attracted by his pledge to bring change to Washington and by the
prospect that he would unify the nation.
It is in this great tradition of crossover voters that I support Barack
Obama's candidacy for president. If the Democratic Party chooses Obama as
its candidate, this lifelong Republican will work to get him elected and
encourage him to seek strategic solutions to meet America's greatest
challenges. To be successful, our president will need bipartisan help.
Given Obama's support among young people, I believe that he will be most
invested in defending the interests of these rising generations and,
therefore, the long-term interests of this nation as a whole. Without his
leadership, our children and grandchildren are at risk of growing older in a
marginalized country that is left to its anger and divisions. Such an
outcome would be an unacceptable legacy for any great nation.
Susan Eisenhower, a business consultant, is the author of four books, most recently "Partners in Space: US-Russian Cooperation After the Cold War."
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posted on February 2, 2008 05:34:22 PM
Thanks, Roadsmith. Susan Eisenhower has many salient points and clearly states her reasons for supporting Obama. It is nice to see someone--anyone willing to support someone not of their party affiliation, just because she thinks he would be good for America. A novel idea!
