On Tuesday, Feb. 5, Minnesota voters will gather to choose nominees for the next president of the United States. On Tuesday, the Editorial Board urges you to make your voice heard and to consider Sen. Barack Obama for your vote.

Obama’s work as a community organizer on the south side of Chicago, his leadership in the Illinois Senate and his continued record in the U.S. Senate, show his experience and ability to inspire a new generation and qualify him to lead our country in a new direction.

Obama’s opposition to the initial occupation of Iraq displays the kind of judgment that his competitor for the nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton, lacks. His plans to work with the United Nations to establish a diplomatic reform of the Iraqi government will show the world that we can be a peaceful and powerful force in the world.

His health care plan would provide all Americans, including the 47 million currently uninsured, the ability to qualify for a new public plan, regardless of medical history. The plan would act as an alternative – and competitor – to private insurance companies. Although we wish to see America steer toward true universal health care, the senator’s plan to institute an aggressive insurance watchdog organization gives us faith that his interests lie with the people and not in fat checks from insurance CEOs.

As more than half a million immigrants enter the country illegally or outstay their visas each year, a strong and compassionate immigration package is necessary. Obama’s priority is to bring these immigrants out of the shadows and give them a chance to obtain work visas or attain legal status. His push to streamline the messy application system and provide employers incentives to not encourage illegal workers is a balanced approach to help those who wish to join our country while making it less enticing for immigrants to enter the United States illegally.

For the past 20 years, two dynasties have controlled American politics. There were good years and years that have tested our national pride and faith in our leaders. Often, we tend to lean toward the familiar. However, we must remember it is in the unfamiliar that we find a fresh perspective of ourselves. The promise of seeing our country and American politics in a new light is just what Obama brings, and it is just what we need.