3
2
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NOTES FROM WASHINGTON INDEPENDENT:
[It's no surprise that the liberal media would support its favorite son.
However, as the Tribune notes in its editorial, this marks the first time in
the newspaper's history that it has endorsed a Democrat for the nation's
highest office. The Los Angeles Times has not endorsed a candidate in the
presidential race since 1972, and it has never supported a Democrat before
either.
The four newspapers all pointed to Sen. John McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, as a key reason for endorsing Obama. McCain has largely
ignored or brushed aside questions about Palin's lack of experience--and by extension, his judgment. The Los Angeles Times was the most scathing:
Indeed, the presidential campaign has rendered McCain nearly unrecognizable. His selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate was, as a short-term political tactic, brilliant. It was also irresponsible, as Palin is the most unqualified vice presidential nominee of a major party in living memory. The decision calls into question just what kind of thinking --if that's the appropriate word--would drive the White House in a McCain presidency.
Fortunately, the public has shown more discernment, and the early enthusiasm for Palin has given way to national ridicule of her candidacy and McCain's judgment.
_______________________________________
THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE RECOMMENDS: Barack Obama for President
Why Obama is the choice
The Illinois senator has shown beyond a doubt that he is the one to lead the nation in troubled times.
Friday, October 17, 2008
The stakes were extraordinarily high even before our economy began to spasm and hurtle toward the abyss.
From the start of the campaign, Americans were confronted with profound
policy choices about how and when to extricate this nation from a war it
initiated, how to temper a looming recession, and whether to continue Bush
administration policies that had widened the gap between rich and poor,
eroded individual liberties, strengthened presidential power, shifted the
Supreme Court to the right, weakened relations with our allies, and delayed action necessary to slow the warming of the planet.
Then, suddenly, the emergence of the worst economic crisis since the Great
Depression gave Americans an opportunity to see the two major-party
candidates under heightened stress. It was a rare chance to see the two
senators encounter the type of pressure that comes with the job description of president of the United States.
Even though each ultimately voted for the same solution - the $700 billion
bailout - their demeanors could not have been more different. Sen. John
McCain magnified the aura of crisis, "suspending" his campaign to return to
Washington, where his role in negotiations was at best tangential. Sen.
Barack Obama was a portrait of calmness and deliberation, reminding
Americans that it is possible for a leader to juggle more than one task at a
time.
Obama showed steadiness in a moment of anxiety, with Americans' portfolios withering and policymakers scrambling to do something - anything - to staunch the panic. The Illinois senator was similarly deliberative - in
contrast with McCain's quick-draw provocation - when Russia invaded Georgia in August.
In those crises, and in the hot lights of three debates, Obama demonstrated a presidential depth and temperament. His performance under the unrelenting scrutiny of the past 20 months has helped quell the "experience issue" for a 47-year-old senator who was elected in 2004.
Still, the breadth of the job of the presidency is such that even the most
capable and experienced leader must rely on the advice and judgment of
seasoned and specialized appointees. A president's success is determined not only by his aptitude, instincts and communication skills - which Obama
demonstrated throughout the campaign - but also by the quality of the
advisers around him. Do they have the mettle to challenge a president? Does he have the self-confidence, and the trust in them, to encourage such
challenges?
Obama's selection of Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate suggests that he
would encourage vigorous input in his administration. Biden, 65 and a
senator since 1972, has established himself as one of Washington's pre-
eminent authorities on foreign policy - and a man who is famously unafraid
to volunteer his opinion.
