Step up, break the 'tie'

This is Easter Sunday. I decided in church an hour or so ago that I can no longer be silent on the race between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. I have moved from my early 50-50 celebration that we probably would elect either the first woman or the first African-American as president to a reluctant awareness that Clinton has lost even more ground as a potentially uniting president.

Happily, Obama captured my admiration and respect when I read his books and has grown in my estimation every day since he launched his campaign. I agree with all of his epic, moving speech on race in American society, including especially his condemnation of the harmful hyperbole of his long-time pastor and his concurrent ability to "hate the sin and love the sinner."

I regret what appears to be the cagey, waiting-to-be-seduced silence of my friends, our governor and our worthy former presidential candidate, John Edwards. The leaders of our party in North Carolina can and should step forward well before May 6 in order to help our great state break this supposed tie and lead our beloved nation to a new day of cooperation in Washington and restored international admiration and respect.

Paul Hardin

Chapel Hill

(The writer is a former chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.)