Seattle Times Endorses President Obama for a Second Term

[WI_DEM]

(hardly a rousing endorsement, but one nevertheless. Perhaps better than the New York Sun's infamous endorsement of TeddyRoosevelt in 1904? "T.R.--with all thou flaws"--that was the entire editorial).

Seattle Times Editorial



In 2008, Barack Obama was The Seattle Times’ choice for president. Four years later, we endorse him again, with less enthusiasm. But he is a better choice than Mitt Romney, and could still go down in history as a good president.

Foreign affairs: President Obama inherited two wars, one defense secretary and too many assumptions from George W. Bush. American forces should have been out of Iraq and Afghanistan by now.

In newer crises, Obama has done better. He wisely limited the U.S. commitment in Libya and kept out of Syria despite the hectoring of U.S. Sen. John McCain. He is right not to let Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talk him into an attack on Iran.

On these matters, Republican nominee Mitt Romney is at his worst, parading his eagerness to use force. Romney has no experience in foreign affairs, and it shows...

http://seattletimes.com/html/editorials/2019291350_editobamaendorsementxml.html

(meanwhile the Dallas Morning News (no surprise) endorsed Mitt Romney.

[kurt_cagle]

1. Seattle Times Leans Conservative

The Seattle PI, when it was still around, leaned more liberal. That an endorsement from the Seattle Times for Obama is tepid is no real surprise - that they didn't endorse Romney on the other hand is more a slap in the face to the former Governor.

[Drunken Irishman]

2. Yes. They endorsed Bush in '00, Kerry in '04 and, as the article said, Obama in '08.

[TroyD]

3. Any reason they didn't wait until after the first debate?

They might get attacked for jumping the gun.

[Drunken Irishman]

4. Reading this...it really isn't an endorsement of Obama. It's an endorsement against Romney.

It's scathing. Maybe the worst endorsement I've ever read for a candidate. It essentially boils down to: Obama has done nothing in his first term, but maybe he could do it in his second ... Romney won't do anything and is too risky.

:/

[johnlucas]

5. But it's the truth. Obama has been a disappointment

I gave up on this cat in 2010.
And it's because I KNOW he can do better.
WE know he can do better.
MUCH better.
ENORMOUSLY better.

I only got back on board to hopefully see the Republican Party die on the national stage & for the faint hope that Obama will reveal the Progressive we know is within him.
You don't come from a background like he does to become a 'Centrist' & damn sure not a 'Conservative'.
His mama was SERIOUSLY Progressive.
The actions he took in his pre-political life points to a person who is not satisfied with the status quo.

What does somebody from tropical paradise Hawaii have to do with cold windy Chicago, Illinois?
Why did he go there of all places? Why did he turn down more profitable opportunities to help people on those streets?
Why would he associate with a Reverend named Jeremiah Wright?

He has gotten too caught up in the gamesmanship of politics.
We know he is THE ONE to steer this country into a strongly Progressive direction.
There's no time better than now.
There's no person better than him to do it.

If he wastes this opportunity, his legacy will not have lasting weight.
OK Obama you did what you needed to do to get a 2nd term.
Now is the time to do what's right & get us off of this sinking 'Conservative' ship.
If he doesn't do it, I will curse his name to the grave.

You got my 2nd chance, Obama. You better not waste it.
The Seattle Times' endorsement is on my wavelength.
John Lucas

[Drunken Irishman]

6. You might find it's true. But nope, I don't...

I think what Obama has done has been pretty damn impressive. No president, really, since FDR, has accomplished as much as Obama. I voted for Obama proudly in 2008 and feel just as proud of that vote. I didn't expect him to walk on water, but he's done pretty amazing these past four years.

I'm in awe at how we're so dismissive of real change.

Obama has done as I expected ... if not more. I'm confident in saying that 30 years from now, we'll look at his presidency, specifically his first term, as one of the best in modern American history. Compared to the last 10 presidents, I don't think you can find one who accomplished more than he has.

[johnlucas]

7. We'll just have to agree to disagree

He has mixed accomplishments.
He passed Romney's healthcare plan not the plan he could have gotten through.
Sure this fact hemmed Romney up for the 2012 election but Obama didn't pass the no-brainer plan he could have gotten through.
I do give him credit for at least getting us the notion of national health care in this country.

His passing of the 2012 National Defense Authoritization Act is atrocious.
You do NOT suspend habeas corpus. That's a NO-GO in my book.

He could have gone farther with the stimulus but I give him credit for putting up the stimulus. It helped out many communities.
The bus system in my town was established precisely because of it.

Saving the American car industry is a definite plus. If they fell apart this country would have imploded.

Regardless of the conspiracy Bush setup with 9/11, Obama sending the order to kill Osama was good in that it could finally get us out of that stupid war. And he finally ended Iraq. Good.
So much money can come back to the country without funding those money pits.
I want a President who is more in favor of diplomacy than saber-rattling & hope that Obama stays out of more wars—official AND unofficial. Let Netanyahu fight his own battles. Israel reminds me of the little brother who talks junk to others then hides behind big brother to deal with the backlash.
I'm not cool with the drone crap. I don't believe in the notion of "collateral damage".
Killing innocent people will not win out in the long run.

He gotta do better on the Guantánamo thing. That's a serious smudge on our record.
Can't expect for people not to torture you if you are willing to torture others.

He let the Big Banks & Wall Street get away with murder. It just goes to show that if you commit crime on a high enough level you can get away with scot free. All that does is inspire people to get powerful enough so that they can do dirt without consequence.

Appreciated his public statement on Gay Marriage. I never bought into that line that his views were "evolving".
From the moment he got in office I said to myself he had to do right by the Gays.
I always knew he would. Big plus. Very Progressive.

I really like how he has Warren Buffett, one of the world's richest (official) men, up here saying that rich people need to be taxed more. WAAAY overdue! 30 years overdue!
I don't like how he's only gonna raise the rate to just under 40%.
He should start with 50% at least. He's only got the whole country on his side.

I really hate how he capitulates before the game begins so ready to compromise strong position with those morally bankrupt Republicans.
Quit compromising with evil. Shut 'em out. Force them to play on your field.
One side says the sun is round, the other side says the sun is square.
You don't meet in the middle saying the sun is cylindrical.
One side is wrong & the other side is right. In cases like these when the choice is so clear stand up against the wrong ones.
I don't like him willing to compromise Social Security & Medicare with the Republicans.
These are not entitlements. This is our money we put away like a trust fund after working for years & years.
Non-negotiable. No compromise necessary.

I see promise in Obama but he really sticks a knife in your heart sometimes.
I don't know if he's making plays like these to secure a 2nd term to play hardball or if he really wants these bad policies.
His background doesn't show me a Centrist and especially not a Conservative.
He IS a Progressive & he needs to show it in his 2nd term.

Despite some of his betrayals I will give him the 2nd chance to to prove me right.
We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.
He's better than Romney no doubt but that's not saying much is it. Pretty low bar to set.
It should be "He's just Better" period.
John Lucas