He can be depended on to stand firm and moderate a Congress that feels it has been handed carte blanche by this election, but he also would find ways to work with Congress.
He has collaborated not only with centrist Democrats, but has palled around with liberals like Sens. Ted Kennedy and Russ Feingold on tough issues like immigration and campaign reform. Few other Republicans or Democrats would similarly risk the ire of their own party.
McCain early on advocated an "all-of-the-above" energy policy — including nuclear, offshore drilling and cutting CO2 emissions — instead of swinging around in response to public opinion just before an election. His tax and economic plans, emphasizing job creation, are better remedies for the nation's ills.
A border state senator, he put his political capital on the line to address immigration issues many in Congress preferred to let fester. He is a champion for Native Americans.
He is a known quantity, a member of Congress since 1982 whose positions and record are clear. At a time of partisan, economic and geopolitical turmoil, that inspires confidence and justifies a vote for John McCain.
Although it is a subscription-only site, readers can get free access for one day.
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The Tulsa World also came out for McCain yesterday:
Barack Obama has outspent him and has successfully tied him to the failures of the Bush administration. Outside of Oklahoma, it’s a bad year to be a Republican and despite a valiant e$ort McCain may not be able to overcome the challenge he faces.
There is no doubt that Obama has a lot going for him. His youthful energy, grace, obvious intelligence and unflappable demeanor are appealing. His message of change is hard to resist. His choice of a running mate was better considered than McCain’s. But Obama’s resume is just too slender. What’s needed in these perilous times is an experience-tested hand at the wheel, and that is Mc- Cain.
If Obama is elected, we will honestly wish him the best of luck, as we know McCain will. Our nation’s political debates are harsh at times, but that stridency doesn’t prevent us from gathering around the eventual winner with the unifying pledge: We are all Americans now. Let us move forward together.
Since 1940 the Tulsa World has endorsed Republicans in presidential elections. This is not because the Tulsa World is a partisan newspaper — indeed we have endorsed Democrats more often than not in local elections — bu t because in each election the Republican has most closely reflected the values we want in the nation’s top office.
That is as true this time as it has been in the past.
We endorse John McCain in Tuesday’s presidential vote.
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For Obama:
Martha's Vineyard Times:
For his part, Senator Obama has no significant record to pick over looking for clues. His political life in Illinois and briefly in Washington has been characterized by ambition, caution, and an instinct for self-preservation. His judgment, as measured by the little we know about his associations and activities, is not inspiring to voters who believe, as their mothers have certainly told them, that you may be known by the company you keep. But, no presidential aspirant can immerse himself in months of campaigning, from one coast to the other and everywhere in between, without revealing the stuff he's made of. Senator Obama's remarkable personal story, the careful management of his long presidential campaign, his obvious intelligence and essential goodness, and his ability to understand economic, diplomatic, and political puzzles and shape his expressed views of them in ways that acknowledge the embedded, underlying complexities - all on display over two years in front of voters across the nation - have built an understandable level of comfort and enthusiasm among Americans. It is a critical asset of the way we choose the American president that the aspirants must campaign across all 50 states and, if elected, serve us all. For each candidate, it is both a telling and a learning experience. When it's done we will know the winner, and he will know us.
It is certainly silly just now to call Senator Obama a transformational national political figure, whatever that means, or to promise oneself or others that he will do all he pledges. But, it is entirely reasonable to regard him, after these months of growing acquaintance, as the candidate in this contest who offers the greatest promise of sound, measured judgment, and the best possibility of maturing leadership.
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Anniston Star:
Barack Obama is a candidate with impeccable timing. Just as the nation prepared for the quadrennial exercise in cynicism and polarization, onto the stage strode a little-known freshman senator from Illinois whose biggest claim to fame was a speech at the 2004 Democratic convention.
Obama struck a deep chord with a broad swath of Americans. He oozes optimism, calm in the face of intense pressure and a sincere offer of hope to a populace hungry for something better than politics as usual.
After President Bush's two terms of constitutional abuse, far-right economic policies that have wrecked the economy and broad ineptitude at home and abroad, the nation hungers for what Obama offers voters heading to the polls Tuesday: change.
For this reason and others, the Editorial Board of The Anniston Star recommends Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
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Daily Home:
It is much like the employers or organization leaders you have known in your life. Who do you follow? ‘My way or the highway’ or the one who inspires and motivates and has a clear vision for the future.
We suspect it would be the latter, and that’s why we think Obama is the better choice.
When the dust clears over campaign promises, and the truth emerges, we like a tax plan that gives more relief to the middle class. We like the choice of a running mate that is clearly qualified in foreign affairs. And we like a cool, calm, steady approach to problem solving rather than an erratic, flip-flop in the face of financial crisis.
Those are the hallmarks of an Obama presidency. We know because we have had a chance to see it firsthand. We have seen him surround himself with knowledgeable people, stay steady with viable options in a financial crisis, and we have seen his ability to motivate and inspire a younger generation of voters to join the democratic process.
It is for these reasons that we endorse Obama for president. His kind of leadership is change this country needs.
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Decatur Daily:
Republicans co-opted the Democrats’ tax-and-spend reputation with their own record federal deficit and corporate tax cuts.
That must change, but Republicans show no inclination to stop the bleeding.
Sen. Barack Obama is young; but he’s four years older than John Kennedy was when voters elected him the 35th president. The Kennedy aura created Camelot, which helped revitalize the nation and give it new goals. The new can-do philosophy won over malaise and man went to the moon.
The nation has more pressing issues now before our astronauts travel back to the moon. Failed policies that litter Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House to Capitol Hill must change.
Citizens need their financial freedom back, they need their access to government back, and they need their privacy back.
Most of all they need their hope back.
Sen. Obama represents change the nation wants. He’s toughened up during the long series of Democratic primaries and the grueling general election campaign.
He’s solid, he’s smart, and he keeps a cool head. He is the better choice to be the next president of the United States.
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Selma Times-Journal:
We have no illusions about the Democratic nominee, Sen. Barack Obama. He is not a savior of the poor and downtrodden. He is a part of the Democratic Party system that many see as too tied to government intervention in their lives.
But the policies advocated by Obama are more palatable and would benefit the people of the Alabama Black Belt more than those of McCain’s. For example, he would seek to have Bush’s tax cuts repealed and eliminate income taxes for people over 65 who earn $50,000 or less. Many elderly in Dallas County alone would benefit from that move.
Additionally, Alabama Congressman Artur Davis, who has helped Obama’s campaign, has said if elected, Obama would send a study group to this region to help us work out a solution to our future.
For those concerned about Obama’s lack of experience, we point to the choice of his running mate, Joe Biden, who has also given up much personally, though not in similar ways to McCain, in service to his country.
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Danbury News-Times:
America has been traveling down the wrong path for most of the past eight years, and the problems and challenges are widespread and overwhelming.
The United States is at war, the country is in the midst of the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression, there are a host of serious domestic problems, America's image abroad is at an all-time low and the country's self-confidence has been shaken.
The new president must have the vision, the courage and the leadership skills necessary to head the country in a new direction. He must have the temperament to bring about conciliation, the judgment to make wise decisions and the ability to build consensus in a deeply divided America.
Barack Obama clearly possesses these qualities and skills. We believe he is the right man for this time of great challenge and peril, and we strongly endorse him for president of the United States.
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Herald Bulletin:
While some consider Obama a nontraditional candidate because he is of mixed race and is young, neither matters at all. What matters is that he has the traditional presidential attributes of personal stability and a strong moral compass. The self-control he demonstrated during his campaign strongly suggests a man who is mature and thoughtful beyond his years. Rarely did he make a misstep, and rarely did he let emotions affect his words or distract him from his campaign’s central messages.
Obama’s choice of Joe Biden as his running mate was not only politically advisable but also a sound selection for second in charge of the United States. McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin smacked of raw political maneuvering and a reckless disregard for the important functions of the vice presidency, chiefly the potential rise to the top executive’s role. While Palin has many strong attributes, she clearly is unprepared to be vice president -- or president.
Obama’s judgment in choosing Biden, a seasoned statesman with expertise in foreign policy, and Obama’s appeal across party lines also foreshadows the formation of a cabinet that would assimilate varied viewpoints to inform Obama’s decisions as president.
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Kennebec Journal's Obama endorsement is not in the seven-day archives.
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Salisbury Daily Times:
Sen. Barack Obama, a relative newcomer to the national political scene, served eight years in the Illinois Senate before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, the same year he delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention when Sen. John Kerry was nominated. At age 47, he would be among the youngest to take the oath of office. He is an accomplished speaker who has demonstrated a rare ability to inspire others. He has worked for much of his adult life to improve conditions for poorer Americans; as president he promises to focus on helping middle- and lower-income Americans.
The candidates' running mates also merit our attention.
Obama selected Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate. Biden's 36 years in the U.S. Senate, which includes extensive foreign policy experience, provides a comfortable balance to Obama's perceived lack of experience. Biden has a reputation for verbal gaffes, and he has not disappointed, but he speaks from the heart.
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Easton Star-Democrat endorsement is subscription only.
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Brockton Enterprise:
Ralph Waldo Emerson, in his short book “Nature,” wrote: “There are always two parties, the party of the past and the party of the Future.”
Obama hails from the latter. The son of a black father and white mother, he offers more in the form of potential than an actual track record, so those who embrace him as the better choice are committing an act of faith, and we trust, not a baseless one.
Perhaps the most compelling reason to hope and vote for Obama is his ability to energize the youth in this country in the political and social compact. It harkens back to a half-century ago when John F. Kennedy woke up the ideals and imaginations of a new generation. We desperately need that now.
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There will be many more I will post tonight and tomorrow. I am going to be going to the Palin rally in less than an hour; I have to take the bus down to the Livestock Events Center and then take the cab home. Palin is not expected to speak until 8:30 tonight, so I may have to wait until tomorrow for all of the newspaper endorsements. There are still a bunch to post.
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