NPR's Fresh Air with Terri Gross interviewed Mickey Edwards, Vice President of the Aspen Institute, a nonpartisan think tank. Edwards is also a co-founder of the infamous Heritage Foundation.
Edwards stated without much prodding that he in fact voted for Obama. He saw many faults with the McCain campaign, but he also sees a huge flaw in the Gingerich model of party politics. He describes the recent tactics of congress bowing to the will of the president as dangerous and undemocratic. Having separate, balanced branches of government is key to making the country work.
Edwards other criticisms included a stern indictment of the anti-intellectualism promoted by the McCain-Palin campaign. The idea that we don't want a well-educated person to lead the most powerful and prosperous nation in the history of human civilization is utterly ridiculous.
This is absolutely true. We need a well-educated person. John McCain thought that Iraq bordered Afghanistan and that Czechoslovakia still existed. Sarah Palin didn't even know Africa was a continent and not a country and threw temper tantrums because she didn't like reading press briefings. Obama was president of the Harvard Law Review, taught Constitutional Law, and traveled Eastern Europe extensively with Richard Lugar.
In turbulent times, we need people who will stand firm with good economic plans and not try to divide the country with innuendo and lies.
Congratulations President Elect Obama.
