The Endorsement

There is comfort and safety in being politically moderate and independent of party. We moderates are not wedded to candidates only because they share roughly the same ideology or because they were annointed by the leadership as the party's candidate.

Moderates can support someone like Chuck Hagel, while disavowing any and all affiliation with someone like Michelle Bachman. We can admire Al Gore and dispise Ted Kennedy. Some view this middle road position as a position of cowardice, of being that of a fence sitter.

I disagree. Independence is a position of strength.

I am pro-choice. I believe in a person's right to bear arms, though with reasonable restrictions. I am in favor of a strong protections of the environment. I support strong national defense. I am in favor of allowing persons of the same sex the right to marry. I am skeptical of the U.N. I think the healthcare system in the United States is in need of serious reform. I am truly undecided on the death penalty.



I have voted for both Republicans and Democrats. There have been instances when I was proud of my selection. However there were many more times when I regretted my selection.

All of this is a very roundabout way of saying that when I vote, it can have as much to do with the person than it does about their policies. I refuse to feel guilty about this.

Personality does matter. Especially in an executive position, personality does matter. Qualities of leadership, character, charisma, and the ability to, dare I say, inspire maybe difficult to quantify, they may be ethereal in their nature, but that does not mean they do not exist. And we face a time in our nation's history when character and integrity are more important know than ever. The last 8 years have seen this country lost from its moorings. Cynicism and doubt reign. Now, more than ever, we need to be inspired, we need to believe in what America is and what it can be in the future. This is why Father Hennepin is endorsing one candidate and one candidate only for President:

We call for all Americans, regardless of political stripe to embrace hope and to deny doubt. To vote for change over stasis and to stand for unity rather than divisivness.

Vote Barack Obama '08.

Much more will be said on this blog on the election and on the issues and on the candidates. But for today, right here and now, Father Hennepin is excited about his candidate. It's a feeling of hope and inspiration that has been all too foreign to him in regards to politics and politicians.