What America Needs in 2008: Educated Problem-Solving and Kitchen Table Values

Abstract

Given a set of issues like racism, sexism, poverty, gun control and ongoing international conflicts around Iraq and US foreign policy in general, America in 2008 needs a president who is equipped to effectively understand history, critically analyze present situations and clearly articulate complex solutions to complex problems. It is not just a platform or a specific position on one or two issues that is most needed. It is a person with a set of skills that enables him or her to synthesize vast amounts of information, understand the far-reaching implications of decisions made by the American president and make decisions that benefit the common good understood as broadly as possible. Along with educated problem-solving skills, the next president must also pay attention to a set of values that have been called "kitchen table values." Looking at these two elements in turn requires acknowledging where the US has been for the past eight years as evidence for where it must go in the next four or eight years.