Senator Barack Obama has gained an increasing number of endorsements from across the political spectrum. Most notable this week is the endorsement by General Colin Powell.
In addition, we cats found the site Editor and Publisher which keeps track of all newspaper endorsements. As of Wednesday, October 22nd, Obama is winning the newspaper endorsement race by a landslide of 124 to 46 for McCain. In addition to the raw numbers, Obama has the endorsement of 27 newspapers that endorsed the Republican in 2004 and McCain has only picked up 4 endorsements from newspapers that backed the Democrat in 2004. We think that some of these endorsements are worth quoting...
SALT LAKE TRIBUNE (UTAH)
“Then, out of nowhere, and without proper vetting, the impetuous McCain picked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. She quickly proved grievously underequipped to step into the presidency should McCain, at 72 and with a history of health problems, die in office. More than any single factor, McCain's bad judgment in choosing the inarticulate, insular and ethically challenged Palin disqualifies him for the presidency.”
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE (PA)
"this election is not just about the shortcomings of Mr. McCain and Ms. Palin and the failed legacy of a philosophy that they seek to perpetuate under the hastily erected banner of maverick.
It is about the strengths of Barack Obama, whose rise to prominence is not a fluke or national infatuation but the consequence of his remarkable skills -- a keen intellect, noble intentions and the wit and grace to express them in ways that have inspired millions across the country. He has a rare gift exactly suited to the fearful times -- he knows the language of reassurance and hope.
If his were just empty words, this would be just another cheap political gift. But what he says is carefully considered.... Mr. Obama has been the voice of moderation, combining common sense and compassion on issue after issue. When the subject turns to foreign policy, supposedly Mr. McCain's strong suit, Mr. Obama gives no indication that he will have to learn on the job."
CHICAGO TRIBUNE (ILLINOIS)
"On Nov. 4 we're going to elect a president to lead us through a perilous time and restore in us a common sense of national purpose.
The strongest candidate to do that is Sen. Barack Obama. The Tribune is proud to endorse him today for president of the United States.
We have known Obama since he entered politics a dozen years ago. We have watched him, worked with him, argued with him as he rose from an effective state senator to an inspiring U.S. senator to the Democratic Party's nominee for president.
We have tremendous confidence in his intellectual rigor, his moral compass and his ability to make sound, thoughtful, careful decisions. He is ready.
We do, though, think Obama would govern as much more of a pragmatic centrist than many people expect.We know first-hand that Obama seeks out and listens carefully and respectfully to people who disagree with him. He builds consensus. He was most effective in the Illinois legislature when he worked with Republicans on welfare, ethics and criminal justice reform.
He worked to expand the number of charter schools in Illinois--not popular with some Democratic constituencies.
He took up ethics reform in the U.S. Senate--not popular with Washington politicians.
His economic policy team is peppered with advisers who support free trade. He has been called a "University of Chicago Democrat"--a reference to the famed free-market Chicago school of economics, which puts faith in markets.
We are proud to add Barack Obama's name to Lincoln's in the list of people the Tribune has endorsed for president of the United States."
Finally, in addition to newspapers many, many others have endorsed Obama. We found what looks like a pretty complete list on Wikipedia. In addition to all the politicians and celebrities on the list, there are some very accomplished economist, quite a few military leaders, and organizations like the Sierra Club.
Why should you care about endorsements? Endorsements in the papers are very well written and are thoughtful examinations of the key issues of the campaign. Although there are a few common ideas in many Obama endorsements, reading or listening to them also gives an idea of the diverse reasons why people support Obama. They remind us of the movement of enthusiasm for Obama and they often reiterate our own thinking. These are our reasons for being interested in endorsements.
-Midnight
www.cats4obama.com
Recent Comments