Old Roads Picks a Candidate for '08

January 21, 2007

With the rash of campaign announcements it is hard not to start looking ahead to the presidential campaign of '08. Another reason for our early attention to '08 is the continuation of dangerous trends in the Bush administration.. from escalation of the war in Iraq and a seeming willingness to begin a conflict with Iran.. to domestic policies that weaken our individual rights and increase inequality.

Old Roads has decided to endorse the presidential candidacy of John Edwards. Three issues stand out for us as deciding factors:

• His stated desire to begin withdrawing American forces from Iraq.. which we believe to be the best course of action out of a range of bad options.
• His attention to the growing levels of inequality in our country. We hear non-stop news of corporate profits and whopping paychecks for those at the top, but average Americans are not connected to this prosperity.
• His desire to extend medical coverage to all Americans. In our view there can be no greater moral imperative than to make sure all Americans have access to health care.

Further, we respond to Edwards' call for involvement now. For us that does not mean door-to-door political activism.. but it will mean a willingness to stand for something in the forums that are open to us.. such as this blog. Beyond advocacy for a specific candidate we are going to look for ways to pitch in and help form a fresh vision of who we are as Americans.