Jackson Free Press

Up in Alaska, the Anchorage Daily News published a ringing endorsement of Barack Obama today, says neither John McCain or Sarah Palin are ready to be president:

Gov. Palin's nomination clearly alters the landscape for Alaskans as we survey this race for the presidency -- but it does not overwhelm all other judgment. The election, after all is said and done, is not about Sarah Palin, and our sober view is that her running mate, Sen. John McCain, is the wrong choice for president at this critical time for our nation. Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, brings far more promise to the office. In a time of grave economic crisis, he displays thoughtful analysis, enlists wise counsel and operates with a cool, steady hand. The same cannot be said of Sen. McCain.

Since his early acknowledgement that economic policy is not his strong suit, Sen. McCain has stumbled and fumbled badly in dealing with the accelerating crisis as it emerged. He declared that "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" at 9 a.m. one day and by 11 a.m. was describing an economy in crisis. He is both a longtime advocate of less market regulation and a supporter of the huge taxpayer-funded Wall Street bailout. His behavior in this crisis -- erratic is a kind description -- shows him to be ill-equipped to lead the essential effort of reining in a runaway financial system and setting an anxious nation on course to economic recovery. [...]

Sen. McCain describes himself as a maverick, by which he seems to mean that he spent 25 years trying unsuccessfully to persuade his own party to follow his bipartisan, centrist lead. Sadly, maverick John McCain didn't show up for the campaign. Instead we have candidate McCain, who embraces the extreme Republican orthodoxy he once resisted and cynically asks Americans to buy for another four years.

It is Sen. Obama who truly promises fundamental change in Washington. You need look no further than the guilt-by-association lies and sound-bite distortions of the degenerating McCain campaign to see how readily he embraces the divisive, fear-mongering tactics of Karl Rove. And while Sen. McCain points to the fragile success of the troop surge in stabilizing conditions in Iraq, it is also plain that he was fundamentally wrong about the more crucial early decisions. Contrary to his assurances, we were not greeted as liberators; it was not a short, easy war; and Americans -- not Iraqi oil -- have had to pay for it. It was Sen. Obama who more clearly saw the danger ahead.

The unqualified endorsement of Sen. Obama by a seasoned, respected soldier and diplomat like Gen. Colin Powell, a Republican icon, should reassure all Americans that the Democratic candidate will pass muster as commander in chief. [...]

Gov. Palin has shown the country why she has been so successful in her young political career. Passionate, charismatic and indefatigable, she draws huge crowds and sows excitement in her wake. She has made it clear she's a force to be reckoned with, and you can be sure politicians and political professionals across the country have taken note. Her future, in Alaska and on the national stage, seems certain to be played out in the limelight.

Yet despite her formidable gifts, few who have worked closely with the governor would argue she is truly ready to assume command of the most important, powerful nation on earth. To step in and juggle the demands of an economic meltdown, two deadly wars and a deteriorating climate crisis would stretch the governor beyond her range. Like picking Sen. McCain for president, putting her one 72-year-old heartbeat from the leadership of the free world is just too risky at this time.

Previous Comments

ID

139728

Comment

I was just about to put this on the site. That's got to be a huge slap in the face for Palin. That her home area's largest newspaper is endorsing her opponents is really telling.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2008-10-26T11:24:07-06:00

ID

139730

Comment

This dosen't surprise me at all. Almost all of the media in Alaska is not very supportive of Gov. Palin. According to some of the Alaskan media, she really won the governor's race by being in the right place at the right time.

Author

lance

Date

2008-10-26T13:16:35-06:00

ID

139738

Comment

The New Orleans Times-Picayune has endorsed Obama.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2008-10-26T20:50:06-06:00

ID

139750

Comment

I hear the Hartford Courant which hasn't endorsed but 2 Democrats in its 244 year history has endorse Obama as well. Clinton was the first. Matt Friedman who I'm no fan of says the Mule or Donkey is fixing to put the smackdown on the Elephant which it so richly deserves it. He went on to say the country doen't deserve it but the republicans do. I disagree with him on this. The country certainly deserves better, too. Where are all the republican and conservative bloggers who formerly blogged here daily? I bet they accuse of us being commie liberals or others not worth talking to! Why do they run when their claims, stories, and polices prove to be lies, falsehoods and make-believe. Say what you will about liberals. We stand our ground without running off to hide.

Author

Walt

Date

2008-10-27T10:03:39-06:00

ID

139757

Comment

I think those guys are busy trying to change the subject, Walt. ;-) Kind of like when all our warnings about their man Melton turned out to be true. No doubt, Freideman is right: The Republican Party brought all this stuff on themselves. They had a chance but blew it by pandering to hate and greed. So here we are.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2008-10-27T11:41:31-06:00

ID

139759

Comment

Do these endorsements really influence how people vote? When I hear this celebrity,politcian, or newspaper announcing they endorses this candidate, I think, So? Big Deal, who cares? I mean that's just me, but do they really influence voters?

Author

BubbaT

Date

2008-10-27T11:50:52-06:00

ID

139761

Comment

Do these endorsements really influence how people vote? In the grand scheme of things, no. Alaska is said to be safe for McCain/Palin, but just because the Anchorage paper endorsed Obama, I don't expect that state to suddenly turn to Obama's favor. In my opinion, newspaper and celebrity endorsements of candidates don't carry a lot of weight. Maybe for those who hadn't made up their minds, the newspaper or celebrity they like made an endorsement could influence them, but even then, I think it's a minute amount. I believe endorsements are used in political arguments as a sort of one-upmanship.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2008-10-27T12:04:27-06:00

ID

139763

Comment

I read David Hampton's column yesterday in the CL talking about how over the next seven days they were going to "endorse". If they endorse McCain I will LOSE MY SH!T and call then worse things than I have ever, ever called them. I will do this because an endorsement of McCain will be based solely on them retaining old white readers that are the only ones left that actually PAY for a subscription to their paper. It will not be based on what is best for a majority of the population of the State of Mississippi. After all, the rest of us are hitting them up for free on the "internets" and absolutely appalled by the racist, bigoted statements left in their comment section every time the name Obama is brought up. Some of those people over there only refer to him as "Hussein" and do nothing but talk about how he is going to take away their GUNS! GUNS??? Who the f&*% cares about GUNS? THIS is how they get Mississippians to vote against their own damn selves every four years. Please, people, GET SMARTER.

Author

Lori G

Date

2008-10-27T12:05:51-06:00

ID

139764

Comment

294 million gun owners in the U.S. care about guns. :)

Author

BubbaT

Date

2008-10-27T12:10:02-06:00

ID

139766

Comment

Thank you Lori and so many of them needs to stop worrying about any wealth being re-distrubuted from them. Nobody wants their 2 nickels, 3 or 4 wheeler, shotgun and trailer. I guess the thought of having those taken and given to Baquan, Whitley and me would be devastating since we don't shoot animals, ride in the woods and mud, rub 2 nickels together as a testament of wealth, fish or know how to hunker down a trailer just right to overcome the high winds og God. They get to keep all their hard earned wealth.

Author

Walt

Date

2008-10-27T12:17:46-06:00

ID

139768

Comment

Bubba-if GUNS are the biggest issue you think about in this campaign...something is wrong with you. Seriously, it is. And it probably has something to do with a distinct lack of gray matter or neurons that aren't firing correctly. My parents are one of those 294 million gun owners. I doubt someone is going to come knocking on their door and demanding their shot gun back any time soon. People need to calm down about crap that IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN and start looking at real issues.

Author

Lori G

Date

2008-10-27T12:24:47-06:00

ID

139769

Comment

...and so many of them needs to stop worrying about any wealth being re-distrubuted from them. Nobody wants their 2 nickels, 3 or 4 wheeler, shotgun and trailer Hysterical!! I'm with you Walt. I wish they'd stop throwing that "spreading the wealth" around. Have people not heard of taxes and welfare? We've been doing this sh!t for YEARS. In fact, your tax dollars pay me to provide a service to children. Thank you...I appreciate it. I also do good work, CHEAP WORK. :)

Author

Lori G

Date

2008-10-27T12:28:13-06:00

ID

139770

Comment

I have 3 guns, 2 of which I'm scared of because of the multiple times they're capable of firing easily and in the wrong direction. If the republicans stay in power Bubba will need his gun in order to kill something to eat, as the republicans are privitizing, oursourcing, pillaging, stealing and robbing the government of good will, public properties, funds and assets so fast that we might be insolvent by January before the Democrat take over. This what happens when the party running the government hates the government and its dependent people which we all are except for the rich. We Democrats won't give the government to the corporations.

Author

Walt

Date

2008-10-27T12:34:17-06:00

ID

139774

Comment

Lori- nope not my biggest issue.

Author

BubbaT

Date

2008-10-27T12:44:49-06:00

ID

139778

Comment

Walt- I got enough to loan you a few to hunt food with too. Guns can't fire in the wrong direction unless you point them there. Seriously if you have 2 you are scared of you need to get rid of them cause if you are scared of them and don't practice with them they are useless to you.

Author

BubbaT

Date

2008-10-27T12:56:45-06:00

ID

139794

Comment

Bubba I'm planning on going o the gun range and practice on using those 2 guns. I don't like guns, but I make enemies because of who I am. I just want to be able to shoot back if attacked.

Author

Walt

Date

2008-10-27T13:54:38-06:00