CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Barack Obama is one of those rare leaders who appear in America perhaps once per generation - a deep thinker who inspires people almost in the tradition of Winston Churchill. Obama's mind probes farther than those around him, and he has eloquence to convey his insights to everyone. He stirs Americans to strive for a better society.

Obama had enough wisdom and judgment in 2002 to denounce President Bush's clamor for an Iraq invasion, while most Washington politicians (except West Virginia's Sen. Robert C. Byrd) meekly supported launching the ruinous war that turned out to be based on phony grounds.

In contrast, Obama's Republican opponent in the Nov. 4 presidential election backed the needless war that has killed more than 4,000 young Americans and cost U.S. taxpayers a projected $1 trillion.

John McCain is part of the Bush-Cheney GOP Washington establishment that has brought severe harm to America. He demanded deregulation of big financial corporations whose executives drew $100 million rewards - and now the collapsing firms must be bailed out at taxpayer expense. The national debt skyrocketed as the White House handed trillion-dollar tax giveaways to the rich, and a booster rocket is being added by the bailouts.

The aging McCain chose an obscure running-mate from the extreme fundamentalist fringe of his party. But Obama wisely picked Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., who has in-depth foreign policy experience.

Election of the McCain-Palin ticket would give America nothing but a continuation of the Bush-Cheney fiasco. Election of the Obama-Biden team would offer a bright new direction.

As we've said before, Obama is a remarkable exception who stands above standard partisan sniping and makes statecraft seem noble. He appeals to the innate decency in all people, beyond party lines, without self-aggrandizing.

Don't forget, as Sen. Jay Rockefeller said:

"The indisputable fact is, Barack Obama was right about Iraq when many of us were wrong. It was a tough call and the single greatest national security question - and mistake - of our time. ... What matters most in the Oval Office is sound judgment and decisive action. It's about getting it right on crucial national security questions the first time, and every time."

In California, the Stockton Record hasn't backed a Democrat for president in 72 years - until now. It endorsed Obama, calling him a "gifted speaker" with "the ability to inspire. ... He has demonstrated he will think things through, seek advice, and actually listen to it."

The Stockton paper said Republican nominee John McCain is old, a survivor of two grim illnesses, and "we worry that he won't have four years. ... That means Gov. Sarah Palin could very well become president. And that brings us to McCain's most troubling trait: his judgment. ... His selection of Palin as a running-mate was appalling."

For all of the above reasons, we at The Charleston Gazette endorse Obama for president in the upcoming balloting.