Monday, October 20, 2008

The Weekend's Endorsements

Senator Obama has an impressive list of endorsements, but a few stand out. On Friday, Oct. 17, The Chicago Tribune came out for Obama, stating
On Dec. 6, 2006, this page encouraged Obama to join the presidential campaign. We wrote that he would celebrate our common values instead of exaggerate our differences. We said he would raise the tone of the campaign. We said his intellectual depth would sharpen the policy debate. In the ensuing 22 months he has done just that.
The Tribune Editiorial Board stated that they've worked with Obama over the last dozen years as he rose to this historic position. They say they have confidence in "intellectual rigor, his moral compass and his ability to make sound, thoughtful, careful decisions. He is ready." And they talk about the substance of the "Change" Obama puts forth: the Tribune says that "Obama envisions a change in the way we deal with one another in politics and government. His opponents may say this is empty, abstract rhetoric. In fact, it is hard to imagine how we are going to deal with the grave domestic and foreign crises we face without an end to the savagery and a return to civility in politics."

But the real significance of the Chicago Tribune's endorsement is this: in the paper's history, they have never before endorsed the Democratic Nominee for President.
The Tribune in its earliest days took up the abolition of slavery and linked itself to a powerful force for that cause--the Republican Party. The Tribune's first great leader, Joseph Medill, was a founder of the GOP. The editorial page has been a proponent of conservative principles. It believes that government has to serve people honestly and efficiently.
The Tribune editorial in full cites Obama's ability to listen carefully to people who disagree with him; his ability to build consensus; how he worked with Republicans in the Illinois legislature on several key issues in the state.

Obama, they say, "is is deeply grounded in the best aspirations of this country, and we need to return to those aspirations." Frankly, when the Chicago Tribune endorsed Obama, that was a huge step in returning to those aspirations.

The other truly significant endorsement from this weekend was from former Sec. of State Colin Powell. Describing Obama as "a transformational figure", Powell broke ranks with the Republican Party in his endorsement. Powell cited the negative nature of McCain's campaign, and said that Obama's nature is better-suited to solving the problems the US faces.

Rush Limbaugh says Powell's endorsement is about race.
OK, fine. I am now researching his past endorsements to see if I can find all the inexperienced, very liberal, white candidates he has endorsed. I'll let you know what I come up with.
Of course, Powell donated money to John McCain's campaign last year, and waited until two weeks before the election to make any endorsement. Powell said it was about the way the campaigns were being run, and the candidates they have both become. Had it been about race, Powell said he would have endorsed Obama when he first announced he was running for President.

Obama's full list of endorsers includes a host of Republicans, conservatives. The reasons they all give talk about his ability to remain calm and build consensus. This gives me hope.

18 comments:

Fran said...

I think that big bag of lard called Rush Limbaugh only supports John McCain because he is white.

Isn't that the same thing?

MRMacrum said...

I watched the "Meet the Press" re-run Sunday night. Colin Powell was very clear and respectful as he explained his decision to go with Obama. That's fine and so is The Chicago Tribune's nod. But the only endorsements I am interested in are mine and the ones cast Nov 4.

DivaJood said...

FranIAm, now isn't that a bit cynical of you? ;}

Mrmacrum, I agree. Until this is over, it isn't over.

Utah Savage said...

Everyone must vote. I fear complacency and the Bradley effect. We need a huge majority to calm things down. The racism is getting pretty scary.

jmsjoin said...

Limbaugh is an ass hole! Powell reasoned his endorsement very well it had nothing to do with race. He agreed with us entirely and race doesn't figure in on our decision.
It behooves those ass holes to say that though Obama has been on fire lately!

I am sick of all the lying! They get increasingly worse and desperate as this slips away from their grasp. As you know I am more than Leary of all this!
From beginning to end we are living a total lie but you know that! McCain and Eva Braun have been chosen to keep it going!
The Bradley effect is only one of the many big concerns this election. The right is going to steal this somehow.

That is increasingly obvious why the voting system is the way it is.
The complicit MSM keeps calling it close so it can be stolen once again. The question is how this time?

To me our only chance is to make sure people come out en masse and give Obama a landslide. Bush has until January 20th to do his worst and you probably know what I expect so I'll shut up! Take care!

Anonymous said...

Rush Limbaugh says Powell's endorsement is about race.

Or stated more accurately, Rush's comments are motivated by race. Nuff said.

Laura Paine Carr said...

eeeeuuuwwww. RL makes my head spin in the wrong way. Let us focus on a new Presidency, with Obama. And do not for a moment let down the enthusiasm and the vigilance, or be swayed into complacency with endorsments... stay awake to vote, and stay awake through the counting of the votes, and stay awake from now on! Today IS the first day.

jmsjoin said...

kvatch
That is so right wing is sick1 Powell is a thinking man. he is doing the right thing for our America. He said exactly how we feel. This has turned out to be all about race and the right is making sure of it!

MRMacrum said...

an avergae patriot - I disagree. At this point it is not all about race. Certainly race has some effect now and will have some effect on the 4th, but I am not buying the race card at this point. But say it is, then we need to make sure enough white folk step up to be counted.

It only becomes about race if you let it become about race.

Anonymous said...

Diva... I never knew that this is the first time the Chicago Tribune has endorsed a Democrat for President. May I ask if the same is true at the State and local level for this newspaper? I'm just curious. I imagine that the same holds true at that level, too. As for Rush Limbaugh, you give the man too much press and praise for his idiotic comments. It's a wonder people still pay attention to that pill-popping, cigar-chomping blowhard. In all seriousness, did you expect anything more from him?

susan said...

Once John McCain started playing to the the extreme elements of the Republican Party by choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate and silently endorsing all the short sighted and ignorant comments by her, Bachman, Limbaugh and others, the real conservatives got as frightened as the rest of us.

Now I'm not worried about the popular vote; I won't rest easy until the Electoral College has finished the process.

DivaJood said...

Kvatch, Rush's comments are motivated by his need for oxycontin.

Spartacus, the Chicago Trib has endorsed Democrats at the local, State and National level, just NEVER for President. It was a huge statement for them.

Susan, when even Conservative Republicans break ranks to endorse Obama, it says something about how irrational and extreme the McCain campaign has become. As for Bachman and her ilk, they are the ones who are anti-American.

jmsjoin said...

MrMacrum
It is not about Race to me. I just want the best person! The right though as always creates an issue where there is none. Divide and conquer has been the method since Bush and Rove and it is continuing! The right has turned this into a Race, race amongst other things!

Randal Graves said...

I still hope Obama's entire cabinet is black. My goal is that the Rushes and Michael Weiners of the world get so worked up by it that they spontaneously combust.

DivaJood said...

Randal, that would be exciting to watch, wouldn't it? I'd love to see Rush, and Bill O just go up in flames, or turn into the pillars of salt they are.

thailandchani said...

Ugh! We can always count on that old windbag Rush Limbaugh to bring things to their basest conclusions.

Yuck!



~*

DivaJood said...

Chani, Limbaugh is just an angry, bitter old windbag.

Fran said...

To quote Vice President Cheney,
"Flush Limbaugh can go f**k himself".

Newsflash to Flush: The white guys running the country..... not doing so good a job.

But seriously, the endorsements are good & Powells was fantastic. The way he explained the Muslim hate/prejudice in this country was extraordinary- even took it to McCain's "turf", when he spoke of a US soldier of Muslim faith, who died for this country.

We all needed to hear that, and coming from Powell gave it even more strength.