Bergen Record:
We respect John McCain's long service to this nation. We owe him much. We do not owe him the presidency.
Senator Obama's résumé is shorter than we would prefer. His legislative career has been undistinguished. It is outside legislative chambers where Obama has left an indelible impression.
At the end of the hard-fought campaign against Sen. Hillary Clinton, America saw Obama emerge as a reasoned, charismatic leader. Intellect and charisma are not guarantees that Obama can lead a nation, but they are a foundation upon which to build.
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Erie Times:
Complaining that he was on disability, a man in his 50s challenged Obama from the floor of Penn State Behrend's Junker Center: What are you going to do for me?
First, Obama replied, he'd ask the man what he could do for himself. Then he'd seek more information about the man's health and, if genuine need existed, resources would be there to help.
With that answer, Obama demonstrated the skills that distinguish him as a leader. He listens. He offers a measured response. He looks for solutions. He also reinforced his campaign's theme: The job of changing this country doesn't just rest with politicians. Citizens across the political spectrum need to be involved; we need to believe that together, "Yes we can" change Washington.
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Poughkeepsie Journal:
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has the intelligence, drive and focus to lead the country to make these wholesale and necessary changes. Through a long, arduous political struggle covering nearly two years, Obama has proven himself worthy of voters' confidence.
They should elect him president.
Obama correctly believes the country has to invest in the middle class and in key areas, such as in infrastructure and education, to make things easier for more Americans and to get the country moving again. His opponent, Republican John McCain, is tethered to the Bush administration's failed economic policies.
The country needs to shift course on many fronts, and Obama is more likely to embrace new ideas and build coalitions to get the needed results.
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Pantagraph:
That’s why it’s essential that American voters select someone who can navigate through those treacherous waters, be prepared for yet-unknown crises and provide level-headed leadership not only for this country but also for the world.
Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden can meet these challenges better than Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin.
When Sen. McCain selected Gov. Palin as his running mate, he made it more difficult to endorse him because he chose political expediency over the best interests of the country. She’s simply not qualified to sit a heartbeat away from the presidency.
This nation is in need of inspirational leadership. Obama can be that leader.
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Columbus Ledger-Enquirer:
John McCain is a good man. His courageous war record is widely known and requires no repeating. In recent weeks, as some of his campaign rallies have turned ugly, he has taken on his own crowds — and been booed — displaying the kind of independence that we admire most about him.
Obama, too, has displayed his independence and personal courage. He opposed his own party and the lawyers’ lobby on Tort reform, education reform and clean coal. He has preached the gospel of personal responsibility, angering some on the left (including the Rev. Jesse Jackson), and he has energized an entire generation of young, disaffected, otherwise apolitical Americans who will inherit the gargantuan financial mess we are about to bequeath to them.
We believe he has the intelligence and vision to lead us through these troubled times.
For these reasons the Ledger-Enquirer endorses Barack Obama for the presidency of the United States of America.
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Florence Times Daily:
As president, Obama would restore much of the moral high ground that has been lost. He would work closely with our allies. As to the criticism that Obama would meet unconditionally with our enemies, it appears to us that he would be practicing a bit of ancient wisdom all leaders should remember: Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.
Obama's domestic platform is appealing in an era of declining fortunes and shrinking job opportunities. His tax plan would shift more of the burden to high-income taxpayers and provide greater relief to low- and middle-income earners. He also advocates smart regulatory oversight of financial markets -- the kind of oversight that could have prevented the financial meltdown we are now experiencing without unnecessarily hindering free markets.
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Lakeland Ledger:
What Americans see about Obama daily is the disciplined success of his campaign, potentially the most effective in presidential history, and the sureness of its leader, who was unflappable in the televised presidential debates. It is only a small step for voters to conclude: "Our country should run so well. Our president should lead so reliably."
It is such realizations that make the choice of Obama for president clear.
Certainly, Obama has committed his share of miscues and morphed some of his positions to fit the moment. Even though we may not agree with him on every point, he has provided thoughtful, sensible positions on domestic issues such as health care, Social Security, energy, diversity and economic policies. The latter have drawn praise from Warren Buffett, America's most successful investor.
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Quad-City Times:
Experience or change? If we had a nickel every time each word was uttered in this presidential campaign, we could bail out the reckless lenders, cover the war debt and provide another stimulus package. Yet those two words don’t begin to cover the skills and attributes necessary in our next president.
What about temperament, judgment, decision-making and knowledge? How about stamina, education and ethics?
These are among the considerations that support our enthusiastic endorsement of Barack Obama for president of the United States.
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Billings Gazette:
At this extremely challenging time, America needs a uniter, not a divider. In this economic turmoil, America needs a thoughtful, cool-headed optimist who envisions a bright future for all citizens. After several years in which worldwide respect for America has been diminished, our great nation needs a new leader who can inspire confidence at home and abroad.
Obama is that leader. As Gen. Colin Powell said last week, Obama is the president America needs now "because of his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities. ... He has both style and substance."
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Berkshire Eagle:
The problems that America faces as it prepares to elect a new president are well-documented. We are in the midst of an economic crisis that will have long-term effects beyond the painful savaging of Americans' retirement accounts. We are buried beneath a federal debt that hampers us now and will burden future generations if not addressed. We are fighting two foreign wars, one of which was begun with the recklessness and adventurism that we thought were the province only of lesser nations than our own.
Beyond that, America is suffering from a crisis of confidence. This can be attributed to the events listed above, as well as many others, but that crisis of confidence also feeds the bitterness and cynicism that prevent America from recovering its confidence and fulfilling its potential. It will take a unique individual to break this vicious cycle as president, but we are fortunate to have a candidate this November who has the potential to do so.
The Eagle endorses Barack Obama for president of the United States.
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Rochester Democrat and Chronicle:
The nation's challenges are daunting. The economy is in the tank, along with public confidence in Congress. State governments are in financial ruin. No relief is in sight from dependence on foreign oil. Indebtedness to China is deepening. And longstanding allies have become standoffish.
America can't afford more of the same. That's the huge risk the nation would run with Republican John McCain, who for too long was in step with the failed policies of the Bush administration.
The senior Republican senator from Arizona has run a disjointed race for the White House that has damaged his reputation as a principled statesman. One gets the feeling that even he doesn't recognize himself anymore.
Obama, in sharp contrast, has demonstrated focused leadership, intellectual heft, coolness under fire and an innate ability to stir optimism.
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Syracuse Post-Standard:
Going forward, Obama's emphasis on diplomacy and his passion for re-establishing America's credibility around the world are reassuring.
There are other issues on which we agree with Obama -- education and health care are two important examples -- and some on which we disagree -- his flip-flop on accepting public financing for his campaign, for example, and his embrace of inefficient corn-based ethanol as an energy solution.
The long campaign has tested the candidates' temperament and judgment, and in this arena Obama scores especially high marks. He has shown an unflappable intelligence and the confidence to surround himself with many of the nation's top thinkers, particularly in the economic arena. McCain, conversely, has shown a disconcerting tendency to jump from one campaign strategy to another. And his campaign has been too eager to engage in the politics of fear and misdirection.
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Albany Times-Union:
As for judgment, Senator Obama chose an experienced, respected lawmaker, Sen. Joseph Biden, as his running mate. Yes, Senator Biden can be verbose and undoubtedly was picked to balance Senator Obama's relative youth and fewer years in national politics. But Senator Biden could certainly fill the position of president, should that become necessary.
In contrast, Senator McCain appears to have chosen his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, largely for her appeal to the right wing base. In the process, he alienated half of America. The choice also seems to have been a cynical attempt to appeal to disappointed supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. We New Yorkers know Hillary Clinton, and Governor Palin is no Hillary Clinton. She would be wholly unqualified to fill the office of president if she were called on to do so.
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Glens Falls Post-Star:
This year's presidential election isn't about who won the debates or who was funnier on Saturday Night Live.
This election is about us. It's about our lives. It's about our issues. It's about the things that have a direct impact on our everyday lives. The economy. The environment. Taxes. Health care. The war.
We not only have to accept the candidate's positions, but also his character and leadership. We have to trust him to make the right decisions. We need him to be smarter and wiser than the rest of us, to have greater vision, to have a deeper understanding of the underlying causes and solutions of our problems.
In examining both presidential candidates from the perspective of who is best prepared and best suited to serve our needs, one candidate rises above the other.
Senator Barack Obama.
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Harrisburg Patriot-News:
Thus, the issue for voters is less about specifics and more about which candidate seems better prepared to deal with these complex issues, to seek the best advice and think the problems through and to adapt to the circumstances in applying a solution.
We believe that candidate is Barack Obama. The Illinois senator's educational background, his varied life experiences and his proven ability to organize, energize and lead -- as shown in an amazingly successful primary election campaign against the Clinton machine -- will serve him well as the nation's chief executive at this critical time in our history.
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Portsmouth Herald:
The New Hampshire presidential primary gave us a unique vantage point from which to consider the attributes of the two major presidential candidates seeking our vote on Nov. 4. We saw Republican Sen. John McCain return from political exile and win through sheer force of personal will.
Democratic Sen. Barack Obama finished a close second to rival Sen. Hillary Clinton, but his concession speech last January was eloquent and defiant. "I'm still fired up and ready to go," he said. "There is something happening in the country — we are ready to take the country in a new direction."
We have no doubt about where the political direction of the country should go. It's a simple question of going backward or taking a major leap forward. When Americans cast their ballots on Nov. 4, Obama is our clear and convincing choice for president to lead the country come January.
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Lansing State-Journal:
In the basic analysis, this is about change versus the status quo, about hope versus fear. Democratic nominee Barack Obama offers mid-Michigan a break from the past. Voters should take it.
The LSJ Editorial Board endorses Barack Obama for the office of president.
The events since the meltdown of the global credit markets has brought the issues and the choice into focus. Republican John McCain offered a whirlwind of unfocused energy and incoherent ideas to the economic crisis, while Obama exuded the calm and deliberation Americans will want and need in the White House.
McCain's selection of Sarah Palin also appears the stuff of impulsive decision-making, going against his own standard to pick someone who from Day 1 could lead America in a global context.
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Muncie Star Press:
When the 2008 quest for the top office in our nation began more than two years ago, virtually no one could have predicted we would be faced with the choice we have today: John McCain or Barack Obama. But the best candidates usually rise to the top, and it is a testament to both men that theirs are the names on the Nov. 4 ballot.
The choice, however, is clear: Barack Obama.
While change has been a word bandied about during this campaign, Obama is the one candidate who represents the kind of real change the United States desperately needs at this critical point in history. It doesn't matter how we got to this point -- a faltering economy, an expensive war on two fronts, poor relationships with some of our closest allies, failing schools, crumbling infrastructure -- that's water under the bridge. What's important is where we go now.
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Wilkes-Barre Times Leader:
But the 47-year-old Obama has shown, especially during the recent Wall Street calamity, that he will react quickly to a crisis, consult with trusted experts and draw up an appropriate response – without appearing flustered. His opponent, by contrast, looked at times during the market collapse much as he did during the second presidential debate – adrift.
Finally, Obama’s mere presence in this presidential race conveys a sense of idealism. A black man, raised by a single mom, occupying the Oval Office?
His election would help to salve some of the country’s longest-festering wounds and energize a population inspired by the notion that Obama first raised at the 2004 Democratic Convention. He said this is not a nation of red states and blue states, but rather the United States.
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Bay City Times:
Times cry out for change. We need a change of culture in our leadership as much as a change of direction in our policies.
Barack Obama is the embodiment of that demand. He appeals to the better part of our national spirit in his calls to service and to unity. He exhibits measured reason as he navigates some of the toughest political waters ever thrown at a candidate. His strategy has been rock solid, his calm unshakable.
In word, in appearance and in deed, he epitomizes the core of the American promise: That any person can rise as high as their talent and hard work will take them.
Obama's thin national resume of elective office isn't a handicap. It differs little from the backgrounds of other leaders the people have chosen in their darkest hours: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt. They succeeded with the judgment to surround themselves with seasoned advisers, by leaning on faith, and by connecting at an elemental level with the hopes and fears of the American people.
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Saginaw News:
All the arguments are out there. The war, taxes, jobs, health care, foreign and you-name-it policies of both. McCain wins many, Obama most.
What resonates, though, are these: The past and the future, the economy, the debates, Colin Powell, vice presidential choices, the Michigan campaign and geography.
Of the past and future, McCain represents the former, Obama the latter. McCain's real moment was in 2000, and his election then might have brought a far better response to Sept. 11 and a far better fate for America than the one it has suffered so far this decade.
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LaCrosse Tribune:
For the first time in more than 50 years, no incumbent or vice president is seeking the presidency of the United States.
One way or another, change is coming.
But what type of change?
The La Crosse Tribune endorses Sen. Barack Obama, the Democrat from Illinois, to provide the change in leadership, hope and vision we need to restore faith in our future and restore trust among our world partners.
While we admire and respect the heroism and service of Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee from Arizona, we don’t have faith in his ability to be the maverick he wants us to believe he is.
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Gloucester County Times:
At least Obama will work to ensure that all of the nation's children have health coverage, a necessary and long-overdue step. McCain's proposal threatens to widen the gap between the price of any worthwhile health insurance plan and the ability of most Americans to pay for it.
Both candidates promise to get large numbers of U.S. troops out of Iraq, partly to free up forces to deal with terrorists who truly intend to do our nation harm those hiding in Afghanistan and at the Pakistan border. But McCain's chants of "winning" in Iraq recall the worst days of the Bush administration's shifting objectives. How, exactly, is "winning" to be measured?
Finally, Obama's choice of the diplomacy- experienced Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., for vice president stands in sharp contrast to Palin. It wasn't really a Biden "gaffe" when he said that leaders of rogue nations will quickly test Obama's limits. (They're likely to do the same to McCain.) Biden is added insurance to deal with such threats. Besides, his election would give us a neighbor with an "in" at the White House.
Quite honestly, a lot of these endorsements are more for Joseph Biden than for Barack Obama, for these papers must believe deep down Biden will have a Cheney-like influence on Obama.
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Wenachee World:
It is more a matter of demeanor, temperament and character. John McCain is a courageous man. He is also impetuous, impulsive and at times inarticulate. He is stubborn and petulant when criticized. These qualities are not necessarily harmful for a legislator, but in a chief executive they can lead to bad decisions, bad policy and isolation.
Obama is unlike McCain. He is more likely to encourage confidence. He appears cool and smooth when the situation calls for it. He is able to inspire when inspiration serves. He is obviously intelligent and reasonable, and unlike McCain or Bush, able to explain himself.
He lacks perfection. He can seem indecisive, or give the impression his top priority is always to please the maximum number of people possible. He is a calculating politician, but he has the qualities of a leader.
Another common theme of ALL of these editorials is something called "temperament." It is because of John McCain's legendary temper many in the media doubt him. Obama hasn't displayed any instances of bad temper; he merely has third parties do all the dirty work for him.
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San Angelo Standard-Times:
Of the two candidates, Obama has shown himself to be the most committed to more inclusive governance. His message has been especially inspirational to young people, whom he has drawn to the political process in phenomenal numbers.
The historical significance of Obama's candidacy - a black person seeking the presidency of the nation that only a few years ago allowed much of the country to effectively exclude blacks from public life - can't be denied. Yet the stakes are so high this year that the racial implications are nearly incidental.
Obama's vision for the future of the United States is the right one. We believe he has the commitment and political skills to make it a reality.
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Kenne Sentinel:
Bush will be leaving office in January. Fortunately. The question now is which of the two candidates to succeed him would likely bring the needed change that both have been calling for?
McCain has been a respected figure for most of his time in public office. In recent months, however, he has shocked even some supporters with often mean-spirited and largely irrelevant attacks on Obama, and with the breathtaking choice of an obviously unprepared novice for his running mate. Additionally, his inconsistency and rashness in responding to the economic situation and in running his campaign belie his claim that his greater experience makes him more trustworthy.
As for policy prescriptions, McCain emphatically told Obama the other day that he is not President Bush, a line he has been repeating on the campaign trail. That’s true. But he’s close enough, with a policy record that tracks Bush’s with frightful precision. McCain has even bragged of having supported the president’s initiatives 90 percent of the time.
Obama is largely untested in public office, perhaps explaining why polls indicate the contest could be very close. Then again, all candidates for president are untested, and during his four years in the public eye, this man has shown greater promise than any nominee in recent memory. He has a calm demeanor, a keen intellect, remarkable leadership skills and a basketful of commonsense proposals for reversing the Bush disasters and returning the country to its historical position of respected world leader.
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Brattleboro Reformer:
Instead of refighting the political and cultural battles of the '60s, Obama represents a different generation. Born in 1961, he is, depending on how you do your demographic figuring, either at the tail end of the Baby Boom generation or the start of the much-maligned "Generation X," the people born in the 1960s and 1970s.
Tempered by years of economic insecurity and institutional rot, and fully accustomed to being lied to and let down by our leaders, Generation X is a self-reliant and resourceful generation that has had to find its own way and keep adjusting and reinventing as it went along.
This is a generation of realists, and they aren't afraid to take chances when necessary. It is their time to take the reins.
After a long and arduous campaign, we now see that there is only one candidate trying to build a broad and bottom-up coalition of young and old, Democrats and Republicans, independents and party loyalists. There is only one candidate trying to bridge the gaps of race, gender and class. There is only one candidate who recognizes that only by bringing people together for a common purpose will change occur.
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Randolph Herald's editorial supporting Obama is available to subscribers after a week.
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Bennington Banner:
Barack Obama has been so long on the presidential campaign trail we sometimes forget just what an historic American figure he is. Incredibly, he now seems poised for a previously impossible-seeming election victory.
Although Senator Obama would be the first African American president of the United States, many voters no doubt have come to think of him less in that way — rather as any other presidential candidate they might consider casting a ballot for. That has something to do with the mostly positive campaign he has run, with its theme of unification. And it is a tribute to his unflappable, level-headed demeanor throughout a very long primary season and a grueling presidential campaign.
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In a day or so, I will post weekly paper endorsements.
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