Opinion

SEN. BARACK Obama exudes a cool confidence during debates and other high-pressure situations that, even many of his detractors will admit, makes him appear composed, somewhat soothing and, yes, even presidential.

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Barack Obama has the composure, compassion and intelligence to guide the United States.

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It would be folly to choose the nation’s next leader based solely on his mannerisms.

But Obama’s composure – combined with his intelligence, ideas, communication skills and capacity to rally people to a cause – gave our endorsement board the evidence it needed to reach a decision: Democrat Barack Obama is the man for the job.

The United States’ reputation in the international community has taken hits in recent years, due mainly to the Iraq war and inability to resolve ongoing hostilities there. Obama, several of our endorsement board members believe, is more capable of soothing rifts and improving the country’s standing in the eyes of important trade partners and potential allies in the war on terror.

Understandably, many Americans are disenchanted with the current state of affairs on the home front: financial markets in freefall, escalating health care costs, home foreclosures and a deficient energy policy.

Obama’s suggested policies might, or might not, be the best ones to address these important issues. But he seems able – and willing – to build consensus, develop new solutions and put the nation on a path toward recovery.

On the campaign trail, he pitched populist notions such as middle-class tax breaks and a litany of other “goodies.” We don’t expect he will deliver on all those promises, nor would his opponent if elected.

But the 47-year-old Obama has shown, especially during the recent Wall Street calamity, that he will react quickly to a crisis, consult with trusted experts and draw up an appropriate response – without appearing flustered. His opponent, by contrast, looked at times during the market collapse much as he did during the second presidential debate – adrift.

Finally, Obama’s mere presence in this presidential race conveys a sense of idealism. A black man, raised by a single mom, occupying the Oval Office?

His election would help to salve some of the country’s longest-festering wounds and energize a population inspired by the notion that Obama first raised at the 2004 Democratic Convention. He said this is not a nation of red states and blue states, but rather the United States.