A letter to the editors of the WSJ from Tom Mader of Walnut Grove, California, former home of my deceased sister Henrietta (Honey) Waldbuser, caught my attention. Mr. Mader writes "It's better when conviction and persuasion coincide". He says "that conviction is a "belief that" something is true: persuasion requires a "belief in" a principle or value. For example, a person might believe that "smoking is injurious to my health," but continue to smoke. However,the persons "belief in" the necessity of safeguarding his or her health will lead to action. Conviction and belief should go hand in hand but you have to learn how to get people's attention. The truth will make you free only if you're hearing it".
What I fear that voters who support Obama have a "belief that" electing him to affect "change" with out ever gaining enough knowledge of who this man and wife really are or a real "belief in" that they understand his meanings of "change", his ability to understand consequences of changes and his ability to implement these changes for the benefit of the this nation and the world governed without the use of terror.
On the other hand, Columnist Peggy Noonan believes that McCain has the conviction but it is time for him to get disciplined and get serious to persuade the voters to understand his philosophy, who is the real man inside him and what he is doing and will do that will improve the well being of all who are citizens of this still great nation. Read her full column "Declaration" in today's issue of the WSJ. She says "that in most successful political careers there is a purpose, a guiding philosophy. Not an ideology (think Obama). Philosophy isn't imposed from above, it bubbles up from the ground, from life. And it's expression is still missing from McCain.
If McCain gets serious and tells us about how he views life, and politics, and Americas purpose in the world, people may just start looking at this older man and see him as the new man and find that the word "change" fits him better than other running for the most important office in the United States of America".
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