Here we go...
The Cleveland Plain Dealer endorsed Obama:
It needs a president who understands that, yes, the world can be dangerous, but it is also complex. That the United States cannot defend its freedom by abandoning its principles. That it cannot ignore its allies one day and demand their help the next.
It needs a president who knows that optimism, not fear, defines America. That tax cuts and deregulation alone are not an economic strategy. That Washington cannot sit idle when a great city is devastated by nature or when millions of hardworking Americans are devastated by losing their homes, their jobs, their health care.
It needs a president who will listen and learn, and not confuse loyalty with competence. Who will ask Americans to sacrifice in the service of their country, not their party or self-interest. Who will be the leader Bush promised eight years ago -- a unifier, not a divider.
Barack Obama can be that leader.
He is young and obviously cannot match the government experience of his Republican opponent, John McCain. But from the moment he electrified the 2004 Democratic Convention by declaring that America's shared values must trump its racial, religious and ideological divisions, Obama has demonstrated uncommon grace, confidence and intelligence.
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It's Obama for the Raleigh News Observer:
Much has been made in this election year of Barack Obama's Ivy League law degree, of his smoothly written memoirs, of his supreme gift of oratory, of his calm eloquence under the pressure of debate. But, say his critics, he is an elitist. He is not, they say, one of us.
In fact, the junior U.S. senator from Illinois -- the son of a white mother from Kansas and a black father from Kenya, the product of humble beginnings and a raising by his extended family, the kid with big dreams, the young man with much ambition, the hard worker who made the most of his education and his opportunities and then went to Chicago to help others do likewise -- could not be more of an example of all that America is and all that it can be. Barack Obama has weathered the rigors of a long and difficult fight for his party's presidential nomination and now seeks to make true the biggest dream of all, to become the president of the United States.
Today, a little more than two weeks from this critically important Election Day, The News & Observer, with pride and hope, in the belief that Obama is exactly what the nation needs at a time when the hills are steep and the winds against us are stiff, enthusiastically endorses him for president. His time has come. And these times have come to him.
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The Orlando Sentinel picks Obama:
The United States is fighting two wars. The financial system is in crisis. The terrorists behind the worst-ever attack on U.S. soil are regaining strength. The cost of propping up the economy will propel the federal budget deficit from the stratosphere into deep space.
Americans badly need a leader who can navigate the nation through these perils.
As the primary season began, the candidate who seemed best qualified to be that leader was Republican John McCain. But Mr. McCain then was a different candidate from the one before us now. He has abandoned positions we admired. He has reacted inconsistently, even haphazardly, to events. In making the most important decision of his campaign, he showed shockingly poor judgment.
In contrast to Mr. McCain, Democrat Barack Obama has exceeded our expectations during this campaign. He has demonstrated sound judgment and grace under pressure. Because we are now more confident in his ability to steer America through the rough waters ahead, the Orlando Sentinel is endorsing Barack Obama for president.
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The Palm Beach Post tries to answer the question of why Obama should be president:
Before he even got to Washington, Sen. Obama not only criticized the Iraq invasion as a distraction from the fight against terrorism but predicted the potential problems that President Bush and Sen. McCain dismissed. In March 2007, when Mr. Bush and Sen. McCain saw a blue-sky economy, Sen. Obama wrote this in a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke:
"We cannot sit on the sidelines while ... families face the risk of losing their homes. And while neither the government nor the private sector acting alone is capable of quickly balancing the important interests in widespread access to credit and responsible lending, both must act and act quickly. Please don't let this opportunity pass us by."
We bring up these points because Sen. McCain claims that "experience" has given him superior judgment and temperament. In fact, the main reason to elect Sen. Obama on Nov. 4 is his superior judgment and temperament. Sen. Obama may have just four years in Washington compared with Sen. McCain's 26, and he may be just 47 years old compared with Sen. McCain's 72, but his record and his conduct during the campaign leave no doubt that voters should trust him to run the country.
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The Idaho Statesman says the country needs Obama's steady hand:
Barack Obama soared to national prominence through the force of his remarkable oratory skills - the charisma and political rock-star appeal that attracted 14,169 people to Taco Bell Arena on a Saturday morning in February.
Over the ensuing months, the Illinois Democrat has shown American voters something more subtle, but something more important. He has demonstrated the superior intellect and the calm command our nation needs now.
The Statesman editorial board endorses Obama in the 2008 presidential election.
This is not an obvious choice for a newspaper in a historically Republican state. Nor was it a unanimous choice. But we have to think about what's best for our nation, which is facing challenging and confusing times that call for even-tempered, clear-minded leadership. When the partisanship of this election finally subsidies, Obama is the man who can reach reasoned conclusions, reach across the political divides, and reach out to the common American.
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The Nashua Telegraph's choice is Barack Obama:
Ten months ago, when it came time to endorse two candidates in the New Hampshire Democratic and Republican primaries, we recommended Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and Arizona Sen. John McCain.
Among the Democratic candidates, we believed Obama was the best suited to reach across the aisle to solve the nation's problems and described him as "a genuine and authentic voice for hope and healing during difficult and divisive times."
As for McCain, who we also endorsed along with Democrat Bill Bradley in 2000, we were similarly effusive in our praise, singling him out for his integrity, leadership and long history of "straight talk" to American voters.
At that time, it would have been difficult to choose between the two men – one a 72-year-old former war hero who has devoted his entire life to his country; the other a 47-year-old one-term senator with the message of change and the oratorical skills to excite and inspire a whole new generation of Americans.
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The Tri-City Herald has come out for Barack Obama:
We're often divided on our political recommendations, but never more deeply than in our presidential choice this year.
McCain's supporters among us include Herald Publisher Rufus Friday, who chose not to use his power to overrule the majority.
Friday lived in Illinois when Obama was a member of the state Legislature and didn't see anything in the novice politician to qualify him for the presidency.
And frankly, Obama's career in the U.S. Senate has been undistinguished. The question of experience hasn't been answered to our satisfaction.
Obama's chief asset is his ability to rally and inspire people, especially young people. In the tough times ahead, that may be what America needs most.
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The Burlington Free Press says it's Obama:
Republican Sen. John McCain and Democrat Sen. Barack Obama promise a new direction for America, a direction that will restore prosperity at home and respect abroad. During a presidential campaign spanning nearly two years, Obama has emerged as the cool, steady hand at the helm the nation needs in these times.
Obama connects with Vermonters and Vermont values on issues of social justice, economic fairness and peace. Vermont has long been home to a passionate support for Obama, even before he announced his bid for president. In March 2006, nearly 2,000 people showed up at the University of Vermont to hear the future candidate, overwhelming preparations made for an expected crowd of 1,000. His appeal here has only grown stronger.
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The Rockford Register picks Obama:
With nothing on a firm footing — not the economy, not the war, not health care — the leader of the free world should be just that: a leader.
In endorsing Obama over Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain, we’re choosing a man who we’ve come to know as an earnest, smart and, yes, charismatic politician who has visited this Editorial Board several times.
We know the Obama who doesn’t just give you his opinion but leads you through his thought process. He’s confident but deliberative. He’s certain but deferential. If those qualities seem to be in conflict, you don’t know Obama.
We know the Obama whose grace under pressure is a tonic for the my-way-or-the-highway style of governing that isn’t just getting old. It’s getting dangerous. We are in a global economic crisis that demands cooperation.
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The Tuscaloosa News says voters should pick Obama for a better America:
Forget the vapid accusations of a hundred-year war or 'palling around' with terrorists. There are much more legitimate reservations about the nominees of the major parties for president in the Nov. 4 election.
One candidate's propensity for faulty judgments and the other's relative lack of experience lead the lists. Considering the nation's precarious financial position, neither of these weaknesses is very reassuring.
Given the choice, however, The Tuscaloosa News endorses Democrat Barack Obama.
It will be difficult for him (or anyone in the Oval Office) to steer our country toward better times while beginning to repair the damage of the past eight years.
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The Times-Reporter came out and endorsed Obama:
We believe McCain blundered horribly when he chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. Weeks after being selected for the ticket, she still is being shielded from scrutiny. The self-affirmed “maverick” clearly was chosen to appeal to the conservative Republican base and to former supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Palin’s “Joe Sixpack” style does attract conservatives, but there is little evidence that Clinton supporters are overwhelmingly flocking to the McCain camp.
Bypassed in the vice presidential selection process (among others) was Ohioan Rob Portman, who served in Congress for 12 years and who most recently was director of the Office of Management and Budget. Portman would have appealed to the so-called conservative base as well as helped McCain capture the ever-so-important Ohio. In addition, Portman, 52, certainly would have eased Americans’ fears about No. 2 being “a heartbeat away.”
The reasoning behind McCain’s Palin decision, along with his stunt to suspend his campaign while he “fixed” the economy, gives us pause.
In the past, The Times-Reporter has shied from endorsing Democratic presidential candidates primarily because of their promises of additional entitlement programs that grow government rather than shrink it. But the last eight years have blurred the picture with Republicans spending as wildly as their counterparts across the aisle.
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A year ago, the New Haven Register would have endorsed John McCain but no more:
A year ago, John McCain, the Republican candidate for president, would have had our vote. In terms of experience, political courage and willingness to work with political opponents, McCain's record towered above that of Barack Obama, the Democratic candidate.
Obama, 47, has been a senator less than four years. McCain, 72, was first elected to the Senate in 1986. McCain famously bucked his party and the president on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, global warming, Iraq policy and the torture of terrorism suspects. Obama has a nearly perfect party line voting record, one of the most liberal in the Senate.
Obama would throw out the secret ballot in union recognition elections and opposes free trade agreements that will increase American business and bolster U.S. allies.
McCain worked with Democrats to enact campaign finance reform, end a logjam on judicial nominees and on a failed immigration compromise. Obama skipped the work on the judicial nomination stalemate and helped undermine the immigration bill.
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The Asbury Park Press says Obama is the best one to lead this country:
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 has the intellect needed to comprehend the complexities of the times and the ability to articulate his positions clearly and eloquently. He can inspire, and we believe he will be able to bring out the best in the American people at a time when our best will be needed. He also offers the best hope for building coalitions and winning back the support of our friends abroad, which he recognizes is critical, not only to help win the war on terrorism but to restore order in the world financial markets.
McCain has burned too many bridges to lead at home or in the international arena. His abrasiveness and that of running mate Sarah Palin during the debates, at their rallies and in their barrage of attack ads have been in sharp contrast to the respectful presidential manner of Obama.
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The Columbus Dispatch says John McCain's lifetime of service makes him qualified for the job of president:
For president of the United States, The Dispatch endorses Republican Sen. John McCain, whose experience, service and sacrifice for his country make him more qualified to lead the nation.
McCain's Democratic opponent, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, is a rousing motivational speaker, but his experience and achievements -- eight years in the Illinois Legislature and less than four in the U.S. Senate -- do not stand comparison with McCain's.
A resume containing so little evidence of leadership and accomplishment leaves in question Obama's ability to handle the most responsible and difficult job in the world, especially at a time when the nation faces a combination of problems so large and complex that they would challenge even the most seasoned leader.
Nor does it seem likely that a man who has traveled in the left lane of American politics for his entire adult life really is the bipartisan centrist that he claims to be. And with Democrats already in control of the U.S. House and Senate -- and the possibility that they might gain a filibuster-proof majority in the next Senate -- there would be little to check the inevitable excesses of one-party rule if a Democrat wins the White House.
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The Daily Press says John McCain is the better choice, whether we look at the past or the future:
Given the unsettled condition of our country, and our world, Barack Obama's appeal for many people is understandable: He combines the youthful vigor and confidence of a John F. Kennedy with the soaring oratory of Martin Luther King Jr., promising a better day, a vision of a wonderful future, if only we are willing to let government control and take care of us.
Unfortunately for Obama, and for those who dearly want to believe his promise that the problems of all of us can be settled on the backs of a handful of us, his inspiring words do not survive what one debating coach referred to as "the buggy ride home." Our old coach was referring to a simpler time in our nation, when Americans listened to candidates debate in person and had time, during the slow trek back home, to turn over the candidates' positions in their minds, testing their theories and picking apart their arguments.
In today's instant messaging, celebrity-besotted culture, such opportunities for thoughtful and emotion-free reflection are rare. But when the hopeful message of change is subjected to the glare of factual light, Obama does not emerge as the best candidate to lead the world's most powerful nation during a time of threats both domestic and abroad, both economic and military.
John McCain is the better choice, and that is why the editorial page of the Daily Press endorses him for the presidency.
I have to admit this editorial makes some valid points:
Obama supported that reform until he realized he could out-raise and out-spend McCain, at which point he cynically turned his back on federal funding.
There are other signs of that inclination to turn his back on stated beliefs when it suits him, probably the most telling cautionary tale about Obama's character. When the bright light of electoral politics revealed some unappealing associates — including the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, former Weatherman radical William Ayers, a corrupt Chicago political machine and convicted felon Tony Rezko — Obama's modus operandi has been to deny, then defend and eventually distance himself from political embarrassments. All of which makes one wonder what Obama truly believes.
That's what a lot of us who are Democrats and want somebody to vote FOR have been asking for months on end.
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The Lubbock Avalanche Journal says McCain is best for America:
We think Hillary Clinton had a good point when her campaign spotlighted Barack Obama's inexperience by asking voters who they wanted in the White House when the telephone rings at 3 a.m. with a national emergency.
Would Sen. Obama or John McCain make a better commander in chief? Who's better qualified to deal with the leaders of other world nations, ranging from our closest friends to bitter enemies? Which candidate would better lead America through a crisis such as the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001? Who would generally believe in less government than more?
Senator John McCain.
An illustration of Sen. McCain's superior leadership qualifications came with the troop surge in Iraq that vastly improved circumstances in the unstable nation and made Iraq much safer for Americans.
At a time when Sen. Obama and many other critics denounced the surge and predicted failure, Sen. McCain supported it and expressed confidence in its eventual success. He had a much better understanding of the American military, its capabilities and its needs than did his eventual opponent.
Sen. McCain has proven himself not only to be a knowledgeable and effective member of Congress but also one of the most willing to reach across the aisle and work effectively with members of the opposing party to accomplish the greater good for the country.
That spirit of bipartisianship is very much needed in the White House.
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The Corpus Christi Caller-Times says McCain offers dependable leadership after writing about Obama in glowing terms:
Obama is not our choice, however. Presidents do not govern for the short haul, but for four years, facing the unexpected and the unintended. That calls for the experienced, the tested and a president who can assure Americans with a record of reaching across the political aisle and a life view that stretches across good and bad times, peace and war. That calls for John McCain.
We do not believe that McCain would be a continuation of the past, no matter the assertion of the Obama campaign. It is not difficult to foresee a McCain presidency that would be more bipartisan than the present one, one less locked into ideology as its only operating principle and less engaged in the perpetual election campaign.
The choice is both a safer choice and a risky one. It is safe because in perilous times -- and surely these are perilous times -- a president who can bring context, a humility of character created by war, and an instinct to shared decision making should instill confidence in Americans.
It is risky because choosing McCain risks putting the United States, and perhaps this Editorial Board, on the wrong side of history. Having a black man take the oath of office of the president on Jan. 20 by virtue of the votes of millions of Americans of all races, of all walks of life, invested with all the aspirations of centuries of dreams and longing would make every American glad to be alive that day.
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The Wichita Falls Times Record has a very brief endorsement of John McCain:
On the flipside, Sen. John McCain is a known commodity, a lawmaker with decades of admirable public service and a sacrifice for his country, as a POW, that is unparalleled. The John McCain of 2008 doesn’t necessarily reflect the John McCain of 2000, when many Democrats would have gladly voted for him as president. But we feel that maverick is still there and earns our endorsement.
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