Kerry in New Hampshire

AN ENDORSEMENT from this newspaper for John Kerry, the junior senator from Massachusetts for almost 20 years, may not seem like news. But we think our close familiarity with the candidate gives our assessment of him more credibility, not less. Kerry has inspired, impressed, and sometimes infuriated us since he first became the top assistant in the Middlesex district attorney's office in 1977. It is precisely because we know him so well that The Boston Globe can be confident in endorsing John Forbes Kerry for the Democratic presidential nomination in the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 27. Kerry's appreciation for public life was honed early. Educated at St. Paul's school and Yale, he joined the US Navy as an officer in the Vietnam War and received a Silver Star and a Bronze Star for valor under fire. He then famously became a leader of Vietnam veterans against the war. But his conscience propelled him further: In the 25 years since the war ended, Kerry has done more than most to heal its wounds. With fellow veteran Senator John McCain, a Republican, he worked to settle the question of prisoners of war and MIAs, the crucial last steps before relations could be normalized with Vietnam.

In the Senate, Kerry used his prosecutorial skills to good effect, bucking the establishment and conducting often gutsy investigations into Washington's associations with unsavory players such as Panama's strongman Manuel Noriega and the Nicaraguan contras.

Today, as his campaign has made clear, Kerry's understanding of complex issues is superior to the other Democrats in the field. His so-called "nuanced" thinking is a necessary tool in a world that is no longer black and white. For some, this habit of mind may raise questions as to Kerry's decisiveness. But it has not prevented him from making clear decisions when -- unlike some other candidates not burdened by legislative records -- he has been called upon to vote.

The Globe editorial board held lengthy interviews with eight Democratic candidates for president, and several of them impressed us. We did not enter this exercise assuming the endorsement would go to Kerry; far from it. But upon careful consideration we feel Kerry is the most presidential of the candidates. By this we mean he is the most prepared to be president: the most knowledgeable, experienced, and steadfast; the man we trust most to represent American interests across the table from a foreign leader or any powerful interest.

There are miles to go until the November election. But for now, some of the other candidates leave us doubting. Though perhaps exciting campaigners, they lack either the record, the experience, or the temperament to assure us they can be successful as president. Sometimes insurgent candidacies are just what the country needs. Too much is at stake in this election to take that kind of leap of faith.

We believe that Kerry's deliberative, pragmatic approach will help him navigate today's multifaceted issues: how to fight terrorism hard and smart, without trampling on civil liberties or crucial relations with the rest of the world. How to plot a path to energy independence without harming the environment. How to end the shame of 43 million Americans unable to afford health care without ceding medical decisions to the insurance or pharmaceutical industries.

Kerry has been buffeted by criticism over seeming inconsistencies on Iraq. But his position today is the same as the one he took early on. In a meeting with the Globe's editorial board 15 months ago, he explained his vote authorizing the use of force in Iraq, saying he felt the president deserved the backing of Congress to take with him into negotiations at the United Nations Security Council.

It isn't convenient, perhaps, but the realities of disarming Saddam Hussein and rebuilding Iraq are immensely complex. As Kerry put it more recently: " `No' is not a policy."

We think Kerry is best suited to help Iraq prepare for its future. His prescription to bring security and freedom to Iraq is undergirded with a broad, interdependent view of the world. Whether the focus is foreign relations, trade policy, or the eradication of AIDS, Kerry evinces a deeply felt desire for America "to rejoin the community of nations."

The war dominates the headlines, but Americans have a host of other concerns. On domestic issues, Kerry shines because of his years of experience making policy positions into practical achievements. All the Democratic candidates have good plans for health care, creating jobs, revamping the disappointing "No Child Left Behind" education law, bringing equity to the tax structure, and upholding opportunities for women and minorities. Kerry has a long voting record and several successes that demonstrate a sustained commitment on those issues. His health care proposal, providing incentives that would restore the tradition of health coverage for most working Americans, is ambitious but also more attainable than other plans.

Our long American presidential campaigns are designed to be crucibles, tempering and strengthening the candidates -- if they don't crack from the pressure. Kerry's campaign has not always been as inspiring as others. He can drone on about policy minutiae. But he has not cracked. He is a man of even temperament and abiding Democratic values. He knows what he thinks about the world and can place a clear alternative vision before the voters in November.

Watching Kerry closely over the years has given us an opportunity to see things that have occurred far beyond the klieg lights. He has a reputation for being aloof and ambitious, but we have seen him show up for an 85-mile charity bike ride in a cold, driving rain and finish it, long after the celebrity riders had dropped out. We have seen him take a little-known program for low-income youth that he believes in and make it his personal mission to get it funded consistently, passionately, and successfully, for no political reward.

We share John Kerry's values and vision for America as a confident, tolerant, enlightened nation. By his consistency, his resolve, and his experience, he has continued to demonstrate that he is best prepared to help the nation realize those ideals.