This presidential election was not about what the candidates looked like, nor was it about what the candidates promised. It was about what the candidates stood for.

Unfortunately, neither newsÂmedia norÂcandidatesÂthemselves made clear in this campaignÂwhat their socioeconomic positions are.

Except for defense, John McCain's political history has been inconsistent.

Not so, Barack Obama's. Obama has consistently supported a social and economic system in which the working class controls society politically and economically.

"Political and economic justice" are goals he has worked for in the Saul Alinsky tradition as a community organizer and as a legislator. These goals are achieved in part by community organizers throughÂpopular struggle "at the street level."

Labor unions and community action organizations areÂprovenÂpathways toÂ"progressive" political and economicÂpower. UnderÂa progressive government,Âacting on behalf ofÂordinary people,Âindustrial productionÂand financial institutionsÂare controlledÂby regulation, taxation and eventually nationalization. WithÂthe resultant increasedÂtax revenue, social welfare programs can be used to "spread the wealth around."

By necessity, such a system is based not on the needs of individuals, which are too cumbersome to assess, but ratherÂon the needsÂofÂgroups or classes.

The idea of such aÂgovernment can beÂvery attractive to those who feel disadvantaged, or who envy others more successful or wealthy.

Unfortunately, where such systems have been tried, they have resulted in economic decline, poverty, loss of individual rights, and social disintegration. Tax revenuesÂeventually decline due to loss of incentive to invest, and jobs must be created by expanding government even more.

President-elect Obama is not a bad guy. He just believes in a political philosophy that has always failed. Who knows, maybe it will work this time. In any case, we've made our bed; now we must lie down.