Conn. paper picks Obama; Ohio paper backs McCain

Excerpts from recent newspaper endorsements of the presidential candidates, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain.

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The Hartford Courant endorsed Obama in an editorial set for publication on Oct. 26. The newspaper has endorsed only one other Democrat â€" Bill Clinton â€" in its 244-year history.

America is starved for a leader who can restore pride and once again make the nation a beacon for the world, or in the words of Massachusetts Gov. John Winthrop in 1630, "a city on a hill â€" with the eyes of all people upon us.

Mr. Obama has the right qualities of leadership, the elevating, can-do message that "we are the ones we have been waiting for" and the calm temperament for these anxious times. He has the counsel of such trusted figures as former Republican Secretary of State Colin Powell and investment legend Warren Buffett.

Republican Sen. John McCain has failed to persuade us he could wake the nation from this seven-year nightmare.

He is a war hero and a man of great character. Though we did not believe he was the strongest candidate in the Republican primary field, The Courant has long admired Mr. McCain for fashioning bipartisan coalitions on such difficult issues as campaign contributions, caps on carbon dioxide emissions, immigration and the confirmation of judges.

But his judgment has been questionable of late, impulsive and off-key, especially his almost panicky announcement that he would suspend campaigning and perhaps postpone one of only three presidential debates to attend to Wall Street bailout legislation. That performance was apparently for show.

Most worrisome, however, is Mr. McCain's choice of a running mate, Sarah Palin, who is not yet ready for prime time."

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The Star Tribune of Minneapolis endorsed Obama in an editorial set for publication on Oct. 26:

Republican Sen. John McCain presents himself as a maverick, attempting to distance his agenda from the policies of the Bush administration. McCain is an American hero who has served his country with honor, often standing up for the causes he believed in despite intense political pressure.

Democratic Sen. Barack Obama also promises reform and change. Since his passionate "Red State-Blue State" speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Obama has staked out an optimistic vision of a more united America and a bipartisan approach to addressing problems in Washington.

With hope that he can deliver on that promise, Obama receives our endorsement.

This was a difficult decision because both candidates are flawed. Ideally Obama would have more experience and a long list of bipartisan accomplishments. Criticism that he has spent much of his time in the Senate running for the presidency is legitimate, and we were disturbed to see him break his pledge to abide by federal campaign spending limits.

McCain, whose campaign has lacked focus, made his most serious error in judgment with the selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. McCain is well aware that the No. 1 qualification of a vice president should be readiness for the top job. Palin does not have the depth of experience to assure Americans she would be ready to run the country.

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The Cincinnati Enquirer endorsed McCain on Oct. 25:

This is a time for a president with deep experience and proven character, a president who thrives in the great, good, honest middle ground in which most Americans live, a president forthright enough to tell us what we'd rather not hear, a president with the courage to follow his convictions and the grit to persevere.

This is Sen. John McCain's time. ...

McCain offers up his compelling biography as a war hero, his admirable candor and his centrist independence in an increasingly polarized political environment. A McCain administration would chart a wiser course on the economy than one led by his Democratic opponent, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois. McCain's campaign has recently found a sharp focus on economic and tax issues, allowing voters to draw clear distinctions with policies Obama would pursue.

And as president, McCain would fill the need for some semblance of partisan balance in Washington, keeping what promises to be a more heavily Democratic Congress from running roughshod on business policy, unions, free trade, health care and more. ...

Obama's record lies to the left of most Americans, yet he is running as a centrist who can reconcile a range of viewpoints. But can we have confidence he will govern from the middle? Will he even need to, or be able to, with a Congress heavily controlled by Democrats, perhaps with a filibuster-proof Senate?

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The Eagle-Tribune of Lawrence, Mass., endorsed McCain in an editorial set for publication on Oct. 26:

On domestic matters, there are fundamental philosophical differences between McCain and his opponent, Democrat Barack Obama. In simplest terms, McCain stands for using government policy to help people make their own way in the world. Obama wants to take from those who have achieved success and give to those who have not in his own words, to "spread the wealth around."

Obama's tax proposals would raise taxes on those with incomes over $250,000. Those people, too often derided as "the rich," are the ones creating the jobs many of the rest of us need to earn our daily bread.

It is important to note here the significance of Obama's candidacy, the first credible run at the presidency by an African American. That alone is an important change for our country, one for which Obama should be congratulated. But we ask voters to neither support nor reject Obama on those grounds alone.

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The St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times endorsed Obama in an editorial set for publication Oct. 26:

One candidate offers a clearer break with the past, the qualities to unite this country and the vision to lead it in a new direction. With enthusiasm, the Times recommends Barack Obama for president. Obama's inspiring message of hope and change resonates throughout America. It can be seen in the enormous numbers of new registered voters, the enthusiasm of younger citizens and the excitement among those engaged in the political process for the first time. The hunger for a new leader with fresh ideas has combined with the realization that old assumptions and Washington responses are no match for today's sobering new realities. This is an opportunity to turn to a leader from a new generation, someone who has the intellectual depth and inspirational qualities to confront the complicated issues at hand and create a shared vision for a brighter future for all Americans â€" regardless of their financial or social status. ...

McCain, 72, remains an American hero, a former Vietnam prisoner of war whose service to his country has been honorable. Yet his campaign in recent months has been unworthy of his record and raises serious questions about his judgment and leadership if elected.

Most disturbing has been McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. It was a reckless decision based on political calculations, not the country's best interests.

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The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel endorsed Obama in an editorial set for publication on Oct. 26:

Obama's vision and potential to be that change agent trump his relative lack of experience, though the experience he possesses is valuable. The maturity and calm demeanor he has exhibited these past two years in the public spotlight and earlier, speak to able, careful, inclusive leadership. And he is simply the better of the two on the issues. ...

McCain, an early supporter of the invasion, was later a critic of how the war was being waged, supporting a surge that Obama opposed. But McCain now fails to recognize that Americans want something different than his open-ended approach. ...

And he also has squandered his claim to one of his supposed assets â€" his experience, as a military man and member of Congress for 26 years. Simply, he has displayed deplorable judgment in key instances that call into question the value of his overall judgment.

In Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the 72-year-old candidate with a history of melanoma picked a woefully unqualified running mate â€" as she continues to prove day after day. And both he and she have conducted a campaign that has careened from inept to offensive.

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The Arizona Republic endorsed McCain on Oct. 25:

Regarding foreign policy, no contemporary American statesman is more prepared than McCain to assume the mantles of first diplomat and commander in chief. In the tradition of Harry S. Truman, McCain already has demonstrated a willingness to let the buck of responsibility stop at his desk.

No one elected McCain to stand virtually alone against three administrations over their use of power overseas â€" against President Reagan's ill-fated decision to send Marines to Lebanon in 1983; against President Clinton's decision to send U.S. troops to Somalia in 1993; and against President George W. Bush's decision 10 years later to send insufficient troops to Iraq. He fought Republicans and Democrats over irresponsibly sending troops into harm's way, and he fought Republicans over their equally irresponsible refusal to send enough troops to do the job. In all three instances, history has proved (too often tragically) that McCain's judgment was right.

Even McCain mischaracterizes his noble willingness to stand up and stand alone. He contends it is the "maverick" in him. Well, he's wrong about that. It is the leader in him.

In truth, the son and grandson of war admirals was never a good fit for the go-along, get-along comity of the U.S. Senate. The nation simply has not had an opportunity to elect a president this well prepared â€" and this willing â€" to be a world leader since Dwight Eisenhower.

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The Chippewa Herald in Wisconsin endorsed Obama in an editorial for Oct. 26. It had previously backed Republican George Bush in 2000 and 2004.

America needs to move away from the Bush model of foreign policy marked by confrontation and aggressive use of American military power and toward a policy based on diplomacy backed by strength. America needs a government that takes seriously its role of "referee" in the free market, protecting against abuses and exploitation while at the same time not stifling entrepreneurial spirit.

Barack Obama has the proper vision of America's role in the world and the role of its government at home to establish sensible policies in these areas. ...

Restoring health to the nation's economy will be even more difficult considering the mess that the nation finds itself in at this point. It will likely require patience, sacrifice and a positive attitude from the American people. That will require inspirational leadership from the nation's president, and there is every reason to believe that is Obama's greatest strength.

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On the Net:

Hartford Courant: http://www.courant.com/

Star Tribune of Minneapolis: http://www.startribune.com/

Cincinnati Enquirer: http://news.cincinnati.com/

The Eagle-Tribune: http://www.eagletribune.com/

St. Petersburg Times: http://www.tampabay.com/

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/

Arizona Republic: http://www.azcentral.com/

The Chippewa Herald: http://www.chippewavalleynewspapers.com/