A striking development in recent weeks has been the endorsement of the Obama/Biden ticket by prominent Republicans. The most prominent was Colin Powell (his powerful statement should be visited by Googling "Colin Powell Meet The Press"), but others of prominence have also joined. These including a number of former Republican Governors, as well as Charles Fried, who served as Solicitor General in the Reagan administration.

Many of these Republican supporters of Obama are more closely aligned ideologically with Republican than Democratic policies, but two critical concerns drove their decision. First, they found in Obama someone more knowledgeable, thoughtful, and level-headed, particularly regarding the nation's economic crisis. Second, they have become appalled at the thought that Sarah Palin might become president of the U.S. in a world full of dangerous complexities, as the evidence for her almost total incompetence has grown. Earlier, this hypothetical possibility lay in the background, but as the election approaches, these and many other Republicans have suddenly imagined a Palin presidency as something that might actually occur, and the thought has terrified them.

It has also compelled them to question previous hopes that Senator McCain would be capable of making judgments that were wise and in the nation's best interest.

Fred Moolten