http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/24/opinion/24fri1.html?_r=1&hp=&oref=slogin&pagewanted=all Editorial
Barack Obama for President
Published: October 23, 2008
Hyperbole is the currency of presidential campaigns, but this year the nation's future truly hangs in the balance.The United States is battered and drifting after eight years of President Bush's failed leadership. He is saddling his successor with two wars, a scarred global image and a government systematically stripped of its ability to protect and help its citizens — whether they are fleeing a hurricane's floodwaters, searching for affordable health care or struggling to hold on to their homes, jobs, savings and pensions in the midst of a financial crisis that was foretold and preventable.As tough as the times are, the selection of a new president is easy. After nearly two years of a grueling and ugly campaign, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois has proved that he is the right choice to be the 44th president of the United States.•Mr. Obama has met challenge after challenge, growing as a leader and putting real flesh on his early promises of hope and change. He has shown a cool head and sound judgment. We believe he has the will and the ability to forge the broad political consensus that is essential to finding solutions to this nation's problems.In the same time, Senator John McCain of Arizona has retreated farther and farther to the fringe of American politics, running a campaign on partisan division, class warfare and even hints of racism. His policies and worldview are mired in the past. His choice of a running mate so evidently unfit for the office was a final act of opportunism and bad judgment that eclipsed the accomplishments of 26 years in Congress.Given the particularly ugly nature of Mr. McCain's campaign, the urge to choose on the basis of raw emotion is strong. But there is a greater value in looking closely at the facts of life in America today and at the prescriptions the candidates offer. The differences are profound. Mr. McCain offers more of the Republican every-man-for-himself ideology, now lying in shards on Wall Street and in Americans' bank accounts. Mr. Obama has another vision of government's role and responsibilities. In his convention speech in Denver, Mr. Obama said, "Government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves: protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology."Since the financial crisis, he has correctly identified the abject failure of government regulation that has brought the markets to the brink of collapse.The EconomyThe American financial system is the victim of decades of Republican deregulatory and anti-tax policies. Those ideas have been proved wrong at an unfathomable price, but Mr. McCain — a self-proclaimed "foot soldier in the Reagan revolution" — is still a believer. Mr. Obama sees that far-reaching reforms will be needed to protect Americans and American business.Mr. McCain talks about reform a lot, but his vision is pinched. His answer to any economic question is to eliminate pork-barrel spending — about $18 billion in a $3 trillion budget — cut taxes and wait for unfettered markets to solve the problem. Mr. Obama is clear that the nation's tax structure must be changed to make it fairer. That means the well-off Americans who have benefited disproportionately from Mr. Bush's tax cuts will have to pay some more. Working Americans, who have seen their standard of living fall and their children's options narrow, will benefit. Mr. Obama wants to raise the minimum wage and tie it to inflation, restore a climate in which workers are able to organize unions if they wish and expand educational opportunities.Mr. McCain, who once opposed President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy as fiscally irresponsible, now wants to make them permanent. And while he talks about keeping taxes low for everyone, his proposed cuts would overwhelmingly benefit the top 1 percent of Americans while digging the country into a deeper fiscal hole.National SecurityThe American military — its people and equipment — is dangerously overstretched. Mr. Bush has neglected the necessary war in Afghanistan, which now threatens to spiral into defeat. The unnecessary and staggeringly costly war in Iraq must be ended as quickly and responsibly as possible.While Iraq's leaders insist on a swift drawdown of American troops and a deadline for the end of the occupation, Mr. McCain is still taking about some ill-defined "victory." As a result, he has offered no real plan for extracting American troops and limiting any further damage to Iraq and its neighbors. Mr. Obama was an early and thoughtful opponent of the war in Iraq, and he has presented a military and diplomatic plan for withdrawing American forces. Mr. Obama also has correctly warned that until the Pentagon starts pulling troops out of Iraq, there will not be enough troops to defeat the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Mr. McCain, like Mr. Bush, has only belatedly focused on Afghanistan's dangerous unraveling and the threat that neighboring Pakistan may quickly follow.Mr. Obama would have a learning curve on foreign affairs, but he has already showed sounder judgment than his opponent on these critical issues. His choice of Senator Joseph Biden — who has deep foreign-policy expertise — as his running mate is another sign of that sound judgment. Mr. McCain's long interest in foreign policy and the many dangers this country now faces make his choice of Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska more irresponsible.Both presidential candidates talk about strengthening alliances in Europe and Asia, including NATO, and strongly support Israel. Both candidates talk about repairing America's image in the world. But it seems clear to us that Mr. Obama is far more likely to do that — and not just because the first black president would present a new American face to the world.Mr. Obama wants to reform the United Nations, while Mr. McCain wants to create a new entity, the League of Democracies — a move that would incite even fiercer anti-American furies around the world. Unfortunately, Mr. McCain, like Mr. Bush, sees the world as divided into friends (like Georgia) and adversaries (like Russia). He proposed kicking Russia out of the Group of 8 industrialized nations even before the invasion of Georgia. We have no sympathy for Moscow's bullying, but we also have no desire to replay the cold war. The United States must find a way to constrain the Russians' worst impulses, while preserving the ability to work with them on arms control and other vital initiatives.Both candidates talk tough on terrorism, and neither has ruled out military action to end Iran's nuclear weapons program. But Mr. Obama has called for a serious effort to try to wean Tehran from its nuclear ambitions with more credible diplomatic overtures and tougher sanctions. Mr. McCain's willingness to joke about bombing Iran was frightening. The Constitution and the Rule of LawUnder Mr. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the justice system and the separation of powers have come under relentless attack. Mr. Bush chose to exploit the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, the moment in which he looked like the president of a unified nation, to try to place himself above the law. Mr. Bush has arrogated the power to imprison men without charges and browbeat Congress into granting an unfettered authority to spy on Americans. He has created untold numbers of "black" programs, including secret prisons and outsourced torture. The president has issued hundreds, if not thousands, of secret orders. We fear it will take years of forensic research to discover how many basic rights have been violated.Both candidates have renounced torture and are committed to closing the prison camp in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.But Mr. Obama has gone beyond that, promising to identify and correct Mr. Bush's attacks on the democratic system. Mr. McCain has been silent on the subject.Mr. McCain improved protections for detainees. But then he helped the White House push through the appalling Military Commissions Act of 2006, which denied detainees the right to a hearing in a real court and put Washington in conflict with the Geneva Conventions, greatly increasing the risk to American troops. The next president will have the chance to appoint one or more justices to a Supreme Court that is on the brink of being dominated by a radical right wing. Mr. Obama may appoint less liberal judges than some of his followers might like, but Mr. McCain is certain to pick rigid ideologues. He has said he would never appoint a judge who believes in women's reproductive rights.The Candidates It will be an enormous challenge just to get the nation back to where it was before Mr. Bush, to begin to mend its image in the world and to restore its self-confidence and its self-respect. Doing all of that, and leading America forward, will require strength of will, character and intellect, sober judgment and a cool, steady hand.Mr. Obama has those qualities in abundance. Watching him being tested in the campaign has long since erased the reservations that led us to endorse Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Democratic primaries. He has drawn in legions of new voters with powerful messages of hope and possibility and calls for shared sacrifice and social responsibility. Mr. McCain, whom we chose as the best Republican nominee in the primaries, has spent the last coins of his reputation for principle and sound judgment to placate the limitless demands and narrow vision of the far-right wing. His righteous fury at being driven out of the 2000 primaries on a racist tide aimed at his adopted daughter has been replaced by a zealous embrace of those same win-at-all-costs tactics and tacticians.He surrendered his standing as an independent thinker in his rush to embrace Mr. Bush's misbegotten tax policies and to abandon his leadership position on climate change and immigration reform.Mr. McCain could have seized the high ground on energy and the environment. Earlier in his career, he offered the first plausible bill to control America's emissions of greenhouse gases. Now his positions are a caricature of that record: think Ms. Palin leading chants of "drill, baby, drill."Mr. Obama has endorsed some offshore drilling, but as part of a comprehensive strategy including big investments in new, clean technologies. •Mr. Obama has withstood some of the toughest campaign attacks ever mounted against a candidate. He's been called un-American and accused of hiding a secret Islamic faith. The Republicans have linked him to domestic terrorists and questioned his wife's love of her country. Ms. Palin has also questioned millions of Americans' patriotism, calling Republican-leaning states "pro-America."This politics of fear, division and character assassination helped Mr. Bush drive Mr. McCain from the 2000 Republican primaries and defeat Senator John Kerry in 2004. It has been the dominant theme of his failed presidency. The nation's problems are simply too grave to be reduced to slashing "robo-calls" and negative ads. This country needs sensible leadership, compassionate leadership, honest leadership and strong leadership. Barack Obama has shown that he has all of those qualities.
Major NJ newspapers endorsed Barack Obama for president today, adding to the overwhelming consensus that Barack Obama is the best candidate to bring about real change in Washington.
Obama for presidentSunday, October 26, 2008 WHATEVER HISTORY makes of the Bush presidency, its immediate legacy is an administration that turned budget surpluses into deficits, launched a pre-emptive war in Iraq and left us divided by politics, ideology and economics.We cannot stay this course. We need a leader: Barack Obama.... The Record endorses Barack Obama. To read the full article, click here.
Barack Obama for presidentOctober 25, 2008 When voters went to the polls in 1932, Herbert Hoover's Republican Party had been in power for 14 years. The GOP's policies hadn't prevented the crash of 1929, and life for most Americans was still grim by the time the president sought reelection. Voters that year opted for change, trusting that a confident Franklin Delano Roosevelt would deliver on his promised New Deal. The parallels today are inescapable. Making the right choice for president is just as vital to the nation's future today as it was in the midst of the Great Depression. Barack Obama offers America an opportunity to get back on track. His uniquely American story can inspire people from all walks of life to once again believe in what their country can accomplish. John McCain came into the campaign with a well-deserved reputation for fighting for what he thought was best, even if it meant taking on his own party. Yes, he was a maverick. The tag has become a cliche, but at one time it was spot on. Now, however, he has reversed himself on many of the positions he fought for, jettisoning long-held principles, in a seemingly impulsive manner. Obama, on the other hand, has demonstrated an ability to stay cool and level-headed amid a grueling election campaign, a quality that should well serve his presidency. On each of the crises confronting the nation -- two wars, chaos in the financial and housing markets, the need to reform health care, energy consumption, an increasingly inadequate education system -- Obama has more to offer…. We believe Barack Obama offers the best hope for what he has called the promise of our ideals at a time when we most need to reaffirm what it means to be Americans. To read the full article, click here.
For the change we need, elect Obama The Democratic presidential nominee has the ideas, vision and temperament to get this nation back on track.In this presidential election, the important question each American voter needs to ask is this: Is she or he better off now than four years ago?Some Americans have been able to weather the financial storm better than others, but few have been untouched by the nation's roiling economy. If voters are dissatisfied with where they are now, with where the country stands today, this is an election in which they can do something about it. They can vote for change.We believe Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is the candidate who can bring about the change that Americans want and need. We endorse his candidacy to be the next president of the United States.To read the full article, click here.
Obama can bring change America sorely needsOctober 26, 2008By now, American voters are probably tired of hearing candidates promise to change the federal government.But change in government is what the country needs — a change in the overall culture of special interests and irresponsible spending and a change from the specific public and foreign policies of the past eight years.Cultural change may be too much to hope for, but a change from the direction of the past eight years is within reach and can be grasped with the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States.Obama, the Democrat, would bring to the presidency an intellectual grounding, a thoughtfulness, a sense of balance that has been lacking for too long; he would not bring self-righteousness, bravado, disregard for human and civil rights, or a foreign policy based on saber rattling and name calling…. It's time for a change. It's time for Barack Obama. To read the full article, click here.
For president:Sunday, October 26, 2008 In the last few weeks, the economic foundation of the United States has been ebbing like sand sucked up by the sea. Despite the erosion of confidence and commerce, one man has stood firm among those shifting sands. Sen. Barack Obama's leadership and calm command have distinguished him, as they have time and time again throughout his campaign for the presidency. We're proud to lend our voice to the many others endorsing the Democratic candidate and his bid to be the 44th president of the United States…. Republican contender Sen. John McCain has served his country well and honorably for many years as a serviceman and a senator. Sen. McCain has been a good captain, but Sen. Obama is clearly the commander we need. To read the full article, click here.
Obama best-suited to lead AmericaOctober 19, 2008Our nation is facing its gravest economic crisis since the Depression. It is bogged down in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The standard of living for most Americans, which had been largely flat during the 1980s and 1990s, has fallen during the past decade despite an economic expansion.The meltdown on Wall Street has eroded the life savings of many Americans by a third. The fallout from the real estate bust could result in a loss of home equity of a third or more. We are far more dependent on foreign oil today than we were 35 years ago, when the oil embargo failed to awaken us from our slumber.And thanks to a Bush administration that arrogantly chose to go its own way in Iraq and employed bullying tactics rather than reason and diplomacy to achieve its ends, we have alienated many of our longstanding allies around the world.Change is needed — badly. Since World War II, there has never been a greater need for leadership, for a president who can pull a deeply divided nation together, someone who can help restore our self-esteem at home and help repair our tattered reputation abroad. Democratic Sen. Barack Obama is better equipped than Republican Sen. John McCain to meet that challenge…. Obama is keenly aware of how badly this nation needs to chart a new course — one that is respectful of other nations. He is committed to rebuilding the middle class, working to align America's policies with its long-cherished ideals and making the country the beacon for prosperity and justice once again.To read the full article, click here.
My fellow Obama supporters, the state of Louisiana need you right this minute, and you can help from where you are via the internet.
The Shreveport Times, a paper in North Louisiana endorsed Sen. Obama today. This is a major thing as Obama will surely lose Louisiana as it is a solid red state.
The comments readers are posting as a result of the endorsement are absolutely outrageous! I warn you it will make your blood boil. But please don't return with more incendiary posts. Instead read the endorsement and reply with calm thought provoking facts about why you are supporting Sen. Obama. Respond in the fashion that you know he would do.
Please do so immediately as others may read your responses and something in their hate filled hearts may change as they go to vote. You have done so much to get Sen. Obama this far, please do this one additional thing. (Continue reading to find out how to help)
NEW YORK (Updated Friday) The Obama-Biden ticket maintains its strong lead in the race for daily newspaper endorsements, by 134 to 52, an almost 3-1 margin and an even wider spread in the circulation of those papers (see full tally below). Obama, not surprisingly, gained the major nod from The New York Times (see separate story) plus The Philadelphia Daily News. Read more from Editor and Publisher:
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/index.jsp
From Editor and Publisher online
By Greg Mitchell and Dexter Hill Published: October 20, 2008 11:50 AM ET updated Monday
NEW YORK (Updated Monday) The Obama-Biden ticket maintains its strong lead in the race for daily newspaper endorsements, by 112 to 39, a than 3-1 margin, picking up 70 or more papers in the past three days, including (see separate stories), the Detroit Free Press, Buffalo News, Cleveland's Plain Dealer, Palm Beach (Fla.) Post, New York's Daily News, Miami Herald, Philadelphia Inquirer, Portland's The Oregonian, Denver Post, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Salt Lake Tribune, Kansas City Star, and Chicago Sun-Times. In a real shocker, two solid Bush papers in 2004, the Houston Chronicle and Austin American-Statesman, also came out for Obama today. So did the more traditionally Democratic the News & Obsever in Raleigh and the Orlando Sentinel, both in key battleground states. Obama's lopsided margin, including most of the major papers that have decided so far, is in stark contrast to John Kerry barely edging George W. Bush in endorsements in 2004 by 213 to 205. We have also added up the circulation of the papers endorsing each candidate. Here Obama leads almost 4-1: 13.4 million to 3.7 million. McCain did pick up a Texas nod from the San Antonio paper, plus a big one from the Columbus Dispatch in Ohio, as well as The San Diego Union-Tribune. All backed Bush in 2000 and 2004. Note: We are updating this story and list often so return for additions.
Read more:
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003875230
As the endorsements are starting to be released, you will see that there is an overwhelming majority of 3-1 for Obama to McCain. Below is a listing of the actual endorsements for each candidate as provided by Editor & Publisher, www.editorandpublisher.com. What is also interesting is to review the Newspapers that have switched to the Democratic candidate from the past Presidential Election where they supported George Bush for 2004.
Chicago Tribune (B): 541,663 (1st time in 167 years)Austin American-Statesman (B)Las Cruces Sun-News (B)The Daily News (B)The (Canton) Repository (B): 65,789Long Beach Press Telegram (B)Mason City Globe Gazette (B)New Haven Register (B)Naples Daily-News (BPasadena Star-News (B)San Gabriel Valley Tribune (B)The (Stockton) Record (B): 57,486San Bernardino Sun (B): 54,315Tri-Valley Herald (B): 29,759The Denver Post (B)The Express-Times (Easton) (B): 44,561Houston Chronicle (B)The Salt Lake Tribune (B):The Columbian (B): 44,623Yakima Herald-Republic (B)Wisconsin State Journal (Madison) (B): 87,930
The Daily Press (Hampton Roads, VA) is the only paper that so far has switched to endorsing McCain in 2008 where they endorsed Kerry, the Democratic Candidate in 2004.
The Chicago Tribune endorses Obama!
Below you will find the Chicago Tribune’s history making endorsement, breaking a 167 year tradition when they chose to endorse Mr. Obama, a Democrat.
From Editor and Publisher October 18, 2008
By Dexter Hill and Greg Mitchell Published: October 18, 2008 11:50 AM ET updated Saturday NEW YORK The Obama-Biden ticket maintains its strong lead in the race for newspaper endorsements, picking up 22 more papers in the past day, including the giant Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune on Friday afternoon (see separate story), and the Miami Herald, Philadelphia Inquirer, Portland's The Oregonian, Denver Post, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Salt Lake Tribune, Kansas City Star, Southwest News-Herald (Ill.) and Chicago Sun-Times late Friday or Saturday. This brings his lead over McCain-Palin by this measure of daily papers to well over 3-1, at 62-18, including most of the major papers that have decided so far. In contrast, John Kerry barely edged George W. Bush in endorsements in 2004, by about 213 to 205. McCain did pick up a major endorsement in swing state Florida (where Obama just gained the Miami Herald), earning the support of the Tampa Tribune. Also he gained another GOP-leaning paper, the Dallas Morning News. Note: We are updating this story and list all day Saturday so return for additions. The readership of the newspapers backing Obama now stands at well over 8 million. He had also gained two biggies on Thursday in The Washington Post and San Francisco Chronicle.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003875517
So far Barack Obama leads newspaper endorsements 62 to 18 over John McCain. In many cased, the editors of these newspapers cite the Palin pick as one of the contributing factors why they endorsed Mr.Obama over McCain.
From the Philedelphia Enquirer:
"More troubling was McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. This blatant overture to women voters and evangelical Christians who share her views on abortion backfired when Palin in interviews proved she is not prepared to be a heartbeat away from the presidency."
The Kansas City Star declared: "Despite his age and previous health problems, McCain chose a vice presidential candidate who is so clearly unqualified for high office that the thought of her stepping into the presidency is frightening. That irresponsible decision casts serious doubt on McCain’s judgment at this point in his political career. And over the past eight years, Americans have come to know, all too well, the high price of carelessness and ineptitude in the White House."
From Editor and Publisher - America's Oldest Journal Covering the Newspaper Industry:
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003875479
By Greg Mitchell Published: October 17, 2008 9:15 PM ET NEW YORK What a day. The Denver Post, which had backed George W. Bush in 2004 and is owned by Republican-leaning William Dean Singleton, this evening endorsed Barack Obama for president. So did the Chicago Sun-Times, Kansas City Star. Southwest News-Herald (Ill.) and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. And to top it off: another Bush-backing in 2004, The Salt Lake Tribune. This followed this afternoon's surprises: the Chicago Tribune, which has never in 150 years endorsed a Democrat, backed Obama, as did its fellow Tribune paper, the Los Angeles -- which had endorsed no one in more than 30 years. It seems like a dam broke yesterday with the unexpectedly early choice of Obama by The Washington Post. In E&P's exclusive count, Obama now leads 58-16 in editorial endorsements. Check out our running list, updated Friday, here. Colorodo, of course, is a key swing state. Georgia is also now, surprisingly, in play and the Atlanta paper is the state's largest.
Posted on Saturday, October 18, 2008
The following editorial appears in Sunday editions of The Miami Herald
With 90 percent of Americans telling pollsters that the nation is heading in the wrong direction, it is no surprise that both Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain have staked their presidential candidacies on the promise of delivering change. Both have qualities that qualify them to lead the country, but they differ significantly in temperament and on many issues. Even the way they have run their campaigns is indicative of their judgment, decision-making and leadership styles.
When he began his campaign in February of 2007, Sen. Obama was viewed as an upstart. He built his candidacy one victory at a time, aided by an excellent campaign staff and fueled by an impressive ability to raise funds on the Internet. He displayed inspiring eloquence and a sure grasp of detail on issues. Voters of all races and ages were drawn to his promise to discard the culture wars and seek pragmatic solutions for problems instead of relying on ideology and worn-out slogans.
I sent the e-mail below to about 300 personal contacts in February voting states. If smears can go viral, why not good news as well?! Please feel free to copy whatever you like, adding your own story, and forwarding this widely. Please repost widely. YES WE CAN combat the e-mail smears!
Dear Friends, Family and Colleagues,
We have probably never discussed politics. Most likely, I don't know whether you are a Republican or a Democrat. But that doesn't matter, because I believe at our core, we are all Americans who want to heal a deeply divided country and change forever the world’s negative view of America. If you have already made a firm decision about which candidate to support in your upcoming primary or caucus, please read no further and simply delete this e-mail.
But if you are still Undecided or a Barack Obama supporter, please read on: As you may be aware, e-mail has gone “viral” to spread misinformation and to smear the good name of Sen. Obama. But I believe e-mail can also be used to "start spreading good news" about his candidacy and his flood of support from respected national leaders and newspapers. If, after reading the message below, you have moved from "Undecided" to an Obama supporter--or if you already are an Obama supporter--I ask that you please forward this e-mail to your friends and colleagues who will be voting soon, adding your own personal story above mine. Our movement for “Change We Can Believe In” is more than a campaign slogan. Anyone who has read Sen. Obama’s books, Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope, realizes that everything Obama says is consistent and authentic to who he is as a human being. He does not change his message depending on what pollsters say. We supporters are all doing what we can in creative grassroots ways to share our fierce belief in “the urgency of now”—that Now is the Moment to elect Sen. Barack Obama, a truly transformational leader with a unique ability to bring people together for the common good, for a higher purpose.
Please join us in helping to heal our beloved, wounded nation. The newspapers below express more eloquently than I can why it’s so imperative to support Senator Obama and to ensure that he is the Democratic candidate in the fall election. I wrote about the electability issue in a recent published Letter to the Editor of the Arizona Republic. On a personal level, I’d like to say that I live without health care coverage for six months of the year, though we continue to pay premiums approaching $1,800 a month for HMO coverage in Wisconsin (for which we are grateful!). Because we have pre-existing conditions, we cannot buy health insurance for our winters in Arizona for any amount of money. While all three Democratic candidates have plans that I could embrace, only Barack Obama stands a chance of working across the aisle to actually get a plan enacted. It will be eight years before I am old enough for Medicare—if it still exists by then.
For those who want to know more about Obama’s policy proposals, I have attached his 64-page “Blueprint for Change.” There is no possible way he could outline all these policies in one of his inspiring speeches that have been filling us with hope and belief in a different kind of politics—a politics free from the undue influence of money from corporations and lobbyists, free from negative ads that mischaracterize an opponent’s statements or label and demonize segments of the electorate. Check out the truthfulness of anything you hear or read, by going to www.factcheck.org or the Obama campaign website’s www.factcheck.barackobama.com. All reports are verified by outside sources. And now, please enjoy the links below as you learn more “good news” about Senator Barack Obama! A selection of newspaper endorsements:
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (GA)
San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Sacramento Bee (CA)
Inland Daily Bulletin (CA)
Trenton Times (NJ)
Arizona Republic (AZ)
San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Chicago Tribune (IL)
Philadelphia Inquirer (PA)
Las Vegas Review Journal (NV)
Dallas Morning News (TX)
Boston Globe (MA)
These are but a few of Senator Obama’s declared political supporters:
Sen. Ted Kennedy (MA)
Caroline Kennedy
Sen. Patrick Leahy (VT)
Sen. John Kerry (MA)
Sen. Claire McCaskill (MO)
Sen. Ben Nelson (NE)
Sen. Dick Durbin (IL)
Sen. Tim Johnson (SD)
Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (SD)
Gov. Jim Doyle (WI)
Gov. Janet Napolitano (AZ)
Gov. Kathleen Sibelius (KS)
Gov. Tim Kaine (VA)
Gov. Rod Blagojevich (IL)
Gov. Deval Patrick (MA)
Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI)
See all superdelegates here.
Two cultural supporters:
Oprah Winfrey
Author Toni Morrison, who dubbed Bill Clinton “the first black president”
Some recent interviews:
1/27/08 Interview with George Stephanopolous (includes Obama addressing the issue of his relationship with Tony Rezcko). Or read Transcript here.
SF Chronicle Editorial Board Interview (video, 52 minutes)
Jack Welch (GE CEO) Grills Obama on CNBC
MLK Church Speech Video
SC Victory Speech Video
Iowa Victory Speech Video
1/27/08 Harvest Church Speech Video
Enjoy! And once you’re onboard, please forward this e-mail to start spreading good news about Senator Barack Obama-- the one candidate uniquely prepared to end politics as usual and finally advance a progressive domestic agenda, while making us believe in “our better angels” and inspiring the entire world to once again respect America.
All best,
Sheri Sinykin
As state Democrats prepare to hold their Saturday caucuses, cynical Republicans might well encourage them to choose Sen. Hillary Clinton, figuring her high "negatives" -- the unusual number of Americans who tell pollsters they'd never vote for her under any circumstances -- would virtually guarantee a GOP victory in the fall.
That's why it's a good thing for Democrats that freshman Illinois Sen. Barack Obama has managed to challenge the perception of Sen. Clinton's "inevitability."
The Clinton campaign cites Sen. Clinton's "experience." In fact, she's a one-term-plus-a-year senator whose lackluster legislative record rivals Sen. Obama's. Other than that, the "experience" in question must surely refer to her presence as a witness and enabler during her husband's presidential terms.
Suffice it to say there are dozens of issues that Americans happily dismissed as "water under the bridge" as the Clinton era came to a close, but which would quickly ensnare Sen. Clinton and her party in a presidential race that would soon look like a struggle to escape the La Brea tar pits.
For starters, imagine Sen. Clinton and "co-president" Bill Clinton invited onto a "This is Your Life" talk show where they're joined by Juanita Broaddrick, Kathleen Willey, Paula Jones, Gennifer Flowers and Monica Lewinsky.
And that's before we even get around to a HillaryCare plan that could have sent you to jail for offering to pay your doctor in cash to "get to the head of the line."
Meanwhile, John Edwards' anti-capitalist populism is not in this country's long-term best interests.
Is Barack Obama, then, the ideal Democratic candidate for president? Hardly. His policy recommendations -- when he can be convinced to get any more specific than "I represent change" -- are the opposite of "change." They're old-line, welfare-state solutions that haven't spent enough time in the microwave to appear even superficially appetizing.
Sen. Obama is a relatively young man with relatively little of the kind of real-world experience that prepares a candidate to stand firm against urgent advice to, say, bomb some remote population of defenseless civilians to "send a message," or plunge the economy into a dark night of unforeseen consequences by crippling the free market in the name of "fighting greed."
But Barack Obama is, at least, likeable. He is a good enough orator that there is no need to cringe when he dares to speak off the cuff. He is a good politician, in the non-insulting sense that he knows how to speak to individual Americans and give them the feeling he cares about their concerns.
As Nevada Democrats head to their caucuses Saturday, they might ask themselves whether they really want to spend two months later this year watching a re-run of the horror movie "It Came From Little Rock," with the sound turned up much too loud -- or if they'd rather make it a real contest this fall.
If they prefer the latter, they're better off backing Barack Obama on Saturday.
