Obama candidacy transcends race but not party.

• Author: Wiesner, Pat
• Position: [on] MANAGEMENT - Political campaigns

Barack Obama has equaled if not surpassed what John F.Kennedy did in 1960 when he got his party's nomination for president even though he was a Catholic. JFK was elected the following year, dismissing forever the questions and arguments about whether this country could ever nominate or elect a Catholic.

I was there, I was Catholic and I remember well the arguments and discussions: Would a Catholic president consult the pope on key issues? Could he make important national decisions independent of the church? When he got the nomination, Kennedy settled the matter for most Americans.

Barack Obama has done even more for the country by answering once and for all, "Can a black man be president of the United States?" Now, the answer is a resounding "Yes!"

Supporters find positive things about the man they can tell the world. Detractors are looking for negatives about the man ... his character, his ideas, his leadership. Even those who don't like him because of his race have to realize they must find other reasons, because race will never again be an acceptable argument.

This will be Mr. Obama's principal legacy.

WHY BARACK OBABMA SOULD NOT BE ELECTED PRESIDENT

* Too much power in the hands of one party.

The electorate of this country has usually been very wise in seeing to it that one party does not have all the power. If Obama is elected, the Democrats will have both houses of Congress and the presidency. It would probably produce an unstoppable surge of socialism, probably bad for this country.

* Incomes will go down, jobs will diminish.

All the money and jobs in this economy come from business being successful. A president can't generate money or jobs, nor can a Congress (they just spend!) A union can't generate money or a real job. All the money in this country comes from profits of business.

Too much tax makes...