OPINION: Obama Needs to Take a Stand

Sen. Barack Obama (D., Ill.) has risen from the relative obscurity of Chicago politics to a real shot at the most powerful job on the planet. Despite his successful campaign for the Democratic nomination for president of the U.S., Obama's positions remain relatively unknown to many Americans.

Obama's big challenge this week at the Democratic National Convention will be to reach beyond the rhetoric. Sure, he can use his pat slogans of "change you can believe in" and "yes, we can," but he also has to demonstrate to the American people he's a strong leader ready to assume the difficult challenges we face as a nation.

Obama failed miserably in this regard last week during the Saddleback Forum on Faith in California. When asked by Pastor Rick Warren when human life begins, Obama launched his reply by saying: "That's above my pay grade." That was a major-league dodge of the question. In an effort not to offend anyone by taking a stance, he alienated everyone: evangelicals who wanted to hear "at conception" and women who wanted a statement supporting a woman's right to choose.

A leader has to take a strong stand to earn respect. Obama must learn from fellow Democrat Harry Truman who famously said: "The buck stops here." Obama should have said he supports a woman's right to choose -- his actual position -- and then lauded the goals of those who work to facilitate adoption and other services for unwanted children.

Abortion, however, is not the major issue on the minds of voters -- it's the economy. The declining purchasing power of wages and soaring petroleum prices have American consumers in a pinch. They want to know what a candidate can do to help them.