Obama is the leader America needs now

Madelyn Olds, Las Vegas

Sunday, July 20, 2008 | 2:01 a.m.

This is the worst of times, and the choice of a man for president was never more crucial than now. As Americans — bitten to the bone by an unnecessary war, the loss of countless young military men and women, and the costs of daily needs such as food and gasoline — we want a respite from a blind leader.

What do the people really desire from government leadership? We deserve a man who has foresight, wisdom and compassion for all Americans. What we truly appreciate and long for is honesty in government.

For eight tedious years, George Bush and his crew of yes men in the Senate, of whom the strongest was John McCain, have proved where they stand. Their stance has been the opposite of our hopes and desires.

We need a man who will not seek to kill Social Security, Medicare and other entitlement programs that are sorely needed. We could never count on McCain to refrain from just that, in order to fund a war.

We need a man who would not be blind to all but one element of this population. A man who sees the dire need for the reconstruction of governmental equality. This is the type of individual Americans need to pull us out of the quagmire and stagnation of the Bush reign. We do not respond to a dictator; we want a man of the people to lead us into a brighter, more hopeful future. I believe that man is Barack Obama.