On all those issues, John McCain comes down on the side of greater freedom, less spending, more choice, and a greater respect for the individual. The choice between these two candidates may be clearest when it comes to two signature issues: keeping the secret ballot in union elections (Barack Obama would abandon it ) and taxing capital.
Senator Obama explains that he’d raise taxes only on the other fellow, that is, The Rich, as if the rich didn’t have the sense or at least the lawyers and trust administrators to start moving into all the numerous and not very productive tax shelters available to them. (In anticipation of an Obama administration, estate planners are already pushing new ones. ) Tax increases that are supposed to affect only those in the upper brackets have a sure way of drifting down into the middle class as the government reaches for ever more revenue. Because that’s where the unsheltered income will be. Call it the Obama Shift. One candidate, John McCain, would let small businesses, individual entrepreneurs, and investors in general create jobs; the other would just squeeze them.
None of this is to deny Barack Obama’s charismatic appeal. He is not so much campaigning for president as announcing a messianic era. (“ I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal ! ” ) Barack Obama’s rhetoric can be blinding (if a little silly ), so shiny yet vague that any voter can project his favorite fantasy onto the screen he projects.
In this, the Age of Celebrity, the coming election of President Obama—for don’t the polls say he can’t lose?—would be the crowning triumph of personality over character. But who is he ? There is still a hollowness, a cultivated distance, at his political core, however obscured it may be by his undeniable, even attractive cool. In that respect, he resembles Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, who moves through events observing and analyzing them rather than taking part in them. Is there any doubt who is the unknown quantity in this presidential election ?
The last paragraph really is the truth, and I am afraid Democrats are going to be VERY upset when Obama's real political leanings are--IF he is elected today.
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Clanton Advertiser:
Neither McCain nor Barack Obama is a strong candidate in our opinion. Both have good qualities, but they also have their shortcomings. However, the bottom line is the experience in getting things done in Washington.
McCain has shown that he has the experience necessary to get legislation passed in Congress. Obama hasn’t. In the years he has been in office, Obama hasn’t been able to get any legislation passed into law. If you can’t get any bills pushed through Congress to become law, then you can’t produce any change.
This is the reason why we believe McCain is the best man to lead our country for the next four years.
That is the entire endorsement.
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Demopolis Times:
We have both things we like and don’t like about both presidential candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain, but find ourselves frightfully torn in making a final selection.
After careful diagnosis and analysis, our views in this race reflect those of most American voters in national response polls — we’re split nearly 50-50.
Obama’s lack of key executive leadership experience is somewhat daunting. The freshman senator just doesn’t have the “seat time” we feel is important in a role such as the country’s chief executive. The role of advisors is critical, and we fear Obama would have to rely too heavily on the political seasoning of others.
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Dothan Eagle:
However, Bush’s failures should not send voters running for the first Democrat to come down the pike.
That appears to be the case with Sen. Barack Obama, who has been a phenomenon this campaign season. He’s eloquent and charismatic. He’s a Harvard-educated lawyer who looks good in a suit. He has drawn millions of followers and caused countless nonvoters to register for the first time.
But he has not proved that he has the ability to lead.
We concede that Sen. Obama is a promising statesman, that much of the invective slung his way is overstated, misrepresented or outright false. We’re proud to see a candidate of color rise to the precipice of the nation’s highest office. He’s youthful and vigorous, and has become an international celebrity.
But his experience on the national stage is limited and we still don’t know whether he has the ability to lead.
The next four years will present significant challenges to our nation’s leaders. Those tasks will require experience, level-headedness and, above all else, strength of character forged in the fires of strife.
The cure for America’s ills can only be found in a conservative administration. And that conservatism exists only in the Republican team.
The Dothan Eagle endorses John McCain for president.
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Let's see if after about five rebootings of my computer if I can get the Gadsden Times' editorial:
When this country’s founding fathers set up the three branches of government, they designed a government that favored a centrist people.
The checks and balances have worked for well over 200 years. We are the strongest nation in the world, the current state of flux in the economy notwithstanding.
John McCain is the right choice as president to keep us in that position.
Compassionate but tough, McCain favors reining in spending (Yes, we know that’s hard to believe given the last eight years of bloated spending under a Republican-led administration but McCain is not George W. Bush) while maintaining a strong defense. He believes in the principles that have made our nation great.
Sen. Barack Obama is obviously an inspirational speaker but he has only a short tenure in the Senate and it’s largely unremarkable. His voting record was consistently partisan.
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Juneau Empire:
Regardless of how the country slices or dices this year's presidential election, America is headed for big, big change in the next four years.
Barack Obama, if elected, will have us headed for an era of more and bigger government, rampant taxation, "spreading of the wealth" from rich to poor and socialist governmental programs the likes of which we've not seen in decades.
Change is not only inevitable, but absolutely necessary. Even a vague understanding of our economy tells us that. America is positioned where the need for tested, proven leadership is squarely on the line and our endorsement for president, therefore, must be for Sen. John McCain.
The biggest difference between McCain and Obama boils down to the one characteristic our next president must have, and that is experience. McCain has it and Obama doesn't. Obama's running mate, Sen. Joe Biden, has experience, and McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, hasn't nearly as much as Biden. Next Tuesday, however, we're not electing running mates. We're electing the man who will lead our country for the next four years, perhaps beyond.
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Chico Enterprise Record:
Our view: Despite our concerns about Sarah Palin's experience, look at the top of the presidential ticket. There, John McCain has years of experience compared to Barack Obama's mere months of experience.
It's been a long, long time since we've been comfortable making a presidential endorsement, mostly because the candidates are always so flawed. Sadly, 2008 is no different.
The choices seem to be drifting toward the extremes of the political spectrum. Barack Obama's comments about redistributing wealth sound a lot like socialism. John McCain and running mate Sarah Palin seem to be embracing reduction of Americans' personal freedoms. Both tickets have a lot of grand ideas that sound really expensive.
Neither ticket seems to be aiming to build on America's strengths, but rather to radically alter the nation to the liking of the movers and shakers of their particular parties, who tend to very liberal Democrats and very conservative Republicans.
For Obama, it's not much of a reach. He's been talking more like a moderate recently (and muzzling running mate Joe Biden for showing his true colors). However his record ... such as it is ... and campaign positions are far to the left of his rhetoric.
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Ridgecrest Daily Independent:
An historic presidential election comes to an end Tuesday evening, when the 44th President of the United States will be elected. Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois have waged a bitter campaign, the most expensive in American history.
While Obama has the upper hand in most polls, and is a double-digit leader in California, we enourage the election of John McCain to the White House.
Obama has proven himself to be worthy of respect, but his plans for improving the economy aren’t cost-effective or realistic. They will result in higher taxes, which is exactly what Americans don’t need at a time like this.
McCain has proven that he’s willing to step across party lines and do what’s right for the country. He will make sure Americans have enough money in their pockets to pull us out of these difficult economic times, without making the dangerous cuts in military and security spending that leave our nation vulnerable, as often happens when a Democrat is in the White House.
Obama’s call for change is really a call for higher taxes and more government in our lives, which is something we can’t afford and don’t need.
Vote for Sen. John McCain on Tuesday.
That's the complete editorial.
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Eureka Repoerter:
While Sen. Obama is an effective orator, in his short time in the U.S. Senate (as in the Illinois state senate), he has compiled a record that is unremarkable, with no evidence he has worked “across the aisle” on any issue of significance.
Sen. McCain has lived a life devoted to duty, honor, country. In office, he has been independent-minded, often blunt and committed to taking the nation back to basics to solve its problems.
His experience and judgment would lead to economic stability and greater security in a dangerous world.
As another editorialist put it the other day, “Obama’s vision of hope shines like a rainbow; appealing, but just out of reach. McCain’s call to freedom and responsibility is less exciting, but you know it works.”
The Reporter endorses John McCain for president.
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Vallejo Times-Herald:
From the war to the economy, Obama is certainly having little trouble getting his message out, and drowning out McCain's. And we find this more than a little troubling. Obama is pouring it on in campaign spending - shattering previous records in money spent, including an astounding $230 million in television ads - in no small part because of a broken promise to join McCain in sticking to public finance limits.
That doesn't exactly seem like the transformative, new-era politics we heard so much about.
For all Obama's eloquence and considerable gifts, watching such a core foundation of his candidacy being undercut so blatantly is disconcerting, and raises the question: Which Obama will settle into the Oval Office this January?
At its core, when all the dust has settled, and all the pundits have finished arguing each side, America is a centrist nation. It's a country crying for the best man or woman for the job, and determining how they will mix in with a Congress that is almost certain to be ruled by one party.
It is a mess of historic proportions awaiting the next president. Wars on at least two fronts, a financial crisis of historic proportions, a deficit swelling to equally historic proportions, economic uncertainty, a housing crisis, and a country fractured at the seams but united in its belief that nobody in Washington seems to know how to - or cares to be bothered to - work together to solve all our problems.
There is no perfect answer on Tuesday's ballot. The best advice we can offer is to find who you think is the best man - not the best party - for the job.
To us, that means McCain. He is not President Bush, and he's earned a shot at his greatest round of public service yet.
They're absolutely right about the public campaign financing. Obama wouldn't even be able to be competitive if he hadn't decided to buy the presidency.
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Republican-American:
For Republicans in general and conservatives in particular, Sen. John McCain is no prize. He's a centrist if not left-of-center candidate, not at all averse to big government. He did not distinguish himself in supporting the recent financial-industry bailout and bears primary responsibility for arcane, incumbent-protecting campaign-finance regulations.
But he comes to the table with vast experience in government and as a military officer. His heroism during the Vietnam War cannot be denied. And he was right where Sen. Obama was wrong in two turning points in recent history: He foresaw and tried to prevent the mortgage meltdown as long ago as 2004; and he was a strong advocate of the surge, which turned the tide in the Iraq war.
It is for these reasons that we are proud to endorse John McCain for president.
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Munster Times:
The choice between McCain and Obama comes down to one of experience.
Obama says electing McCain is akin to re-electing Bush, a damning accusation. But what is electing Obama like?
Obama hasn't had much time in either the Illinois Senate or the U.S. Senate. He has no record of accomplishments on which to make that judgment. He lacks the experience to show he can do what he promises.
His linkage with convicted fundraiser Tony Rezko and other individuals of similar character is also troublesome.
McCain has worked across the aisle to accomplish his goals in Congress, first in the House and then the Senate. McCain has not been a party loyalist, although he has somewhat assumed that role to gain Republican voter support.
But he has truly been a maverick, often voting with Democrats and against his own party. He has a proven record of success -- campaign finance, homeland security and much more. He fully understands the military and the need to be vigilant in an unsettled world.
But he also recognizes the urgent need to address the needs of Main Street, to bring help to our economy and American families.
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Advocate-Messenger:
This most important election is not about Barack Obama or John McCain. It's not about electing the first black president or an aging military hero. Nor is it about the dubious choices each has made for a running mate. Perhaps more than ever, and at least in our collective memory, we have a race about philosophy, about how much government should be involved and when, about the need for a balance of representation across parties and philosophies in the White House and Congress and on the Supreme Court, about strength in the Oval Office when it comes to national defense. In all of those scenarios, we believe Sen. John McCain to be the best choice.
That's the entire endorsement.
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Ashland Daily Independent:
On the economy, we have to be honest: We don’t have a lot of confidence in either John McCain or Barack Obama righting a sinking economic ship. Neither the Republicans nor the Democrats have shown much interest in bringing federal spending under control, and until it is, the health of our economy is vulnerable. We do know this: Both Obama and McCain have promised new programs the nation simply cannot afford to implement.
McCain has been rightly criticized for his selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. While in many ways we like Palin, she is woefully unprepared to be president. If McCain thought he needed a female as a running mate, there were far better candidates than Sarah Palin.
In comparison to the glib, outgoing Obama, John McCain is rather bland. But beyond the outward appearances comes substance, and in that area, John McCain is the better choice.
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Can't find editorial for the Macomb Daily.
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Duluth News Tribune is a Forum Communications paper, and I have posted the endorsement for the Fargo Forum several days ago.
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I don't see the Silver City Daily Press & Independent endorsement.
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Hickory Daily Record:
Our choice for president is John McCain.
This election is about change. Both presidential candidates promise to lead change.
But McCain is better equipped to bring about change.
McCain is older and wiser in the ways of the real world. He has seen more than his opponent. He has the connections on Capitol Hill. And he has a history of reaching across party lines to do the right thing.
McCain's experience goes beyond politics. He knows the horrors of war first-hand and understands the ramifications of sending troops into combat or withdrawing soldiers from a volatile region.
Perhaps the best reason for local voters to choose McCain is how closely he reflects the attitudes, morals and political philosophies of the Catawba Valley region.
John McCain would be right at home among the residents of Hickory, Newton or Granite Falls.
He would also be a good fit in the White House.
That's the entire endorsement.
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The Winston-Salem Journal refused to endorse our dictator last time, but this time it backs McCain:
In Sen. Barack Obama, the United States has an inspirational young leader, a man who put his considerable talents to work not for his own personal gain on the streets of Chicago but for the betterment of his fellow citizens. Regardless of how this election comes out, he has shown the world that America still is the land of opportunity, a place where even the son of a multiracial couple, one of the pair being an immigrant, can rise to enormous heights.
In Sen. John McCain, we have a genuine war hero and a man who has served his country admirably for decades in Congress. He is a man who has shown courage in war and courage in Washington. During his years in the Senate, he has demonstrated a willingness and ability to work across the aisle. And today, the Journal endorses him for president.
The Journal sides with McCain because he better suits this newspaper's underlying editorial philosophy of limited government intrusion into the lives of American citizens, low taxes and fiscal responsibility. There is nothing in the character of Obama that makes us think he is unfit to be president. To the contrary, we admire much about the man. We just disagree with the course upon which he is likely to lead this nation.
Over the past five months, Obama has run a strong campaign. Let's be blunt: McCain's campaign has not been as strong; it has suppressed McCain's natural humor, spontaneity and creativity. He's looked as unnatural on the stump this year as Al Gore did in 2000.
But once this campaign ends, we believe, the real John McCain, the champion of straight talk, will re-emerge.
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The Tiffin Advertiser-Tribune is a chain paper with the same editorial as others I have posted.
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The Tribune-Review, like all of the Scaife papers, I believe, endorsed McCain:
The only truly experienced leader in this race -- the gentleman whose resume actually is worthy of the phrase -- is John McCain, 72, war hero, former congressman and longtime U.S. senator of Arizona.
We first endorsed Mr. McCain for president in February, long before we knew Sen. Obama would be the Democrat nominee. But our words then are even more apropos now.
John McCain is fiercely independent. And he makes no apologies for the principles he holds dear, even if they be at odds with the traditional party base. But he has never wavered in his core belief of what Republicanism (with a capital "R") and republicanism (with a lower-case "r") are all about:
Small government. Fiscal discipline. Low taxes. A strong defense. And a judiciary that does not legislate from the bench.
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The Post & Courier has a recap of its McCain endorsement:
Republican John McCain's vastly superior experience gives him a decisive edge in the presidential race. He's a moderate conservative with a long, distinguished history of bipartisan achievements. And he's much closer to the political center than Barack Obama — a key consideration in light of the certain strengthening of the Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate.
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The Paris News:
In our presidential selection, we believe McCain offers a compelling biography as a war hero and senator; an admirable candor and a centrist independence in an increasingly polarized political environment. In contrast, Obama needs more experience, which another four years as United States senator would provide. Although Obama has the intellectual depth to understand issues and inspirational qualities beyond comparison he has not been on the national political scene long enough to gain the public trust.
The endorsement is complete.
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Culpeper Star-Exponent:
Republican John McCain, in many respects, is the exact opposite of his opponent. What McCain lacks in personality and political sex appeal he makes up for in solid fundamental values, war-time leadership and decades of high-level experience.
In this time of global conflict, McCain represents the best choice to lead our armed forces, confront terrorism and stand up to rogue regimes. On domestic issues like energy, education and the economy, he offers a pragmatic vision grounded in conservative principles. And even though we’d like to see the word “maverick” dropped from the English language, it’s encouraging that McCain has just enough of a rebellious streak to promote a sense of bipartisanship and occasionally buck party lines.
Come Nov. 4, Americans will weigh all of these factors, vote for a president and usher in a new era — hopefully a brighter one. This newspaper’s editorial board believes John McCain is the right man for the job.
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Charlottesville Daily Progress:
The battle we fight on the home front, meanwhile, is an economic one. The so-called financial meltdown has frightened us and sent us running for quick fixes.
Mr. McCain’s support for a flawed bailout package is disappointing; yet, in the long run, his basic understanding of the need for economic freedom will stand us in good stead. America has always thrived under the opportunities afforded by free enterprise, free markets and free trade.
These principles give us the chance to build careers, and homes, and investments and good lives for ourselves.
But government can stifle this energy by taking away not only our opportunities but the fruits of our labors. This, we fear, is what would happen under an Obama presidency. For all his good qualities, Mr. Obama is the most liberal presidential candidate from a major party that this country perhaps has ever seen. His platform would tip us toward socialism. And that is a negation of American values. It is one that we cannot afford.
Americans still deserve the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. And the man to protect those rights is John McCain.
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Carbondale Southern:
We either will have our first president of African-American descent with an Obama win or the first female vice president, Sarah Palin, if McCain wins. History aside, the vote Tuesday could shape our government and the manner in which we live for generations.
We face a choice between:
l An inexperienced politician who rocketed to fame after a celebrated soliloquy at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
l A Vietnam War hero who has devoted his adult life to public service in the military and as an independent-minded statesman.
Obama and McCain are different in other respects, too.
Obama promises change and throughout his career has talked about redistributing wealth. He describes a badly damaged America in his campaign oratory. Obama will pursue major changes for our economy, foreign policies, military affairs and social services.
McCain touts the essential strengths of a nation forged in individual liberties, free enterprise and a belief that governments which govern best, govern the least. He believes in capitalism, understands the high price of freedom and knows a strong America is a beacon of hope to a despairing world.
We share McCain's optimism about the future of our nation. We endorse John McCain for U.S. president.
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Alexandria Town Talk:
The underlying principle -- to help others -- is familiar to all of us. We are a nation of people who are known for their sacrifice and generosity. Americans do not need government to tell them to give. Americans give because their hearts urge them to do so and their faith reminds them they should.
At the same time, Americans are historically, collectively and rightly opposed to the suggestion that government should intervene in this regard. That prospect of over-reaching and ever-bigger government contradicts everything upon which this nation is built. History tells us that, and common sense tells us to pay attention.
All of this belongs in the debate. It is especially appropriate at a time when Americans are struggling to adjust to an economy that was sabotaged by unsound financial practices, flawed public policy decisions, lax regulatory enforcement and fraud driven by consumer greed.
Fortunately, we have guidance that is good and tested, and we need to employ it. We are a nation of people who cherish individual rights and local autonomy; we expect and demand limited government; and when we are at our best, we are idealistic and pragmatic, consciously patriotic and steadfastly principled.
John McCain has the scars to prove he is all of that.
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I can't find the endorsement in the St. Joseph News-Press.
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Since I have posted the Weirton paper's endorsement, the Steubenville Herald Star presumably has the same one for McCain.
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Sumter Item:
This election is not about John McCain’s capabilities – he is a proven leader. It is about an unknown quantity, a freshman senator who took office by immediately running for higher office. What has he accomplished? Did he “reach across the aisle” and build bridges to the other party, or simply reach for the White House with no more than rhetoric and a pleasing personality? Even Sarah Palin has more experience actually running a government than Obama.
As the gifted columnist for The Wall Street Journal, Kimberley Strassel, has commented, Obama is more than just a politician but “the world’s most gifted political magician! A thing of wonder. A thing of awe. Just watch him defy politics, economics, even gravity!” And in addition, “For his next trick, the Great Obama will jumpstart the economy, and he’ll do it by raising taxes on the very businesses that are today adrift in a financial tsunami!”
You get the picture. We used to regard Bill Clinton as “The Great Pretender.” He has met his match. We now have the Great Obama on the biggest stage in the world, performing amazing tricks and hypnotizing us with his mesmerizing words.
We need a serious man in the Oval Office, not a performer. John McCain fits that profile. We know him, and we can trust him to do what’s right for his country. The last thing we need is a performer.
John McCain is who we need.
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El Paso Times has a terse endorsement:
The El Paso Times recommends that you vote for John McCain for president. McCain possesses the invaluable and irreplaceable asset of experience in the whirlwind of Washington politics, something which his opponent is notably lacking. Barack Obama's few years of experience in government and as a community organizer pale in comparison to McCain's substantive record of accomplishment during his four years as a U.S. House member and 22 years in the U.S. Senate.
McCain has the right answers for the issues that concern most Americans.
McCain's economic policies, including reducing the corporate tax rate, will stimulate the economy. It will help keep jobs in this country rather than farming them out overseas.
Obama's economic ideas, including the redistribution of wealth, reek of socialism and a tax-and-spend philosophy that is a burden this country cannot bear, particularly in these tough economic times. He often sounds more like Venezuelan despot Hugo Chavez than a U.S. presidential candidate. What's down the road, nationalization of oil companies, health -care providers and more?
McCain will bring the Iraq war to an honorable and successful conclusion.
Health care is a consistent worry, and McCain has a solid health-care-reform plan that involves tax credits, not tax increases.
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I can't find the Zanesville Gazette endorsement.
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