The Obama Boom

Ted Kennedy's endorsement of Barack Obama wasn't such a shock. Caroline Kennedy's endorsement of Obama, while unexpected at the time, was important more because of her tendency to stay out of politics than her family name. But when the granddaughter of Dwight Eisenhower endorsed Obama today, well, now we have a story.

Why? For starters, before Reagan, there was Ike. Secondly, this is the man who made the term "military-industrial-complex" a household name. And yeah, Obama's a Democrat. This is like a Carter endorsing Mitt Romney.

But it's better to just let Ms. Susan Eisenhower explain for herself:

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.

Major endorsements? Check. Grassroots support? Check. Now what Obama could use is some more media love. Too bad Obama isn't looking to the press for favors.