SF Chronicle endorses Obama: 'Reprieve and renewal'

[Newsjock]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/26/ED6EUKN15.DTL

The American political system needs a period of reprieve and renewal.

It needs a reprieve from a White House that draws power from fear, sneers at any science that gets in the way of corporate or theocratic missions and stubbornly adheres to policies that leave the nation sinking in debt and mired in war. It craves a reprieve from the politics of bloodsport that prize clever calculation over courage, winning over principle, party label over national interest.

The renewal must come from a president who can lead by inspiration, who can set partisanship aside to define and achieve common goals, who can persuade a new generation of Americans that there is something noble and something important about public service.

There is no doubt about the Democrat with the vision and skills to bring that period of reprieve and renewal. It is Sen. Barack Obama.

... Clinton, who arrived in the U.S. Senate four years before Obama, has tried to make experience the issue. As senator, she has proved skillful at representing diverse New York interests and working with Republicans. But if she wants to highlight her White House experience as a defining difference, then it's only fair to point out that two of the projects she was most deeply involved with produced a debacle (health care) and scandals (fund raising). Especially in recent days, her campaign has shown the sharp elbows that evoke the ugly underside of the Clinton years, and the (Karl Rove inspired) Bush years that succeeded them: the reflex to scorch the Earth, to do what is necessary to vanquish political adversaries ... all is justified if you are left standing at the end.

[usregimechange]

1. Excellent!

[avaistheone1]

5. Read the comments. San Francisco is not happy with the Obama endorsement.

Obama is seen as a conservative here. Very hillarish in this part of the world.

[ursi]

7. I see Bill and Hill's publicity war has worked on a few ...oh, well!

[DJ13]

2. So we have the Sacremento Bee and the SF Chronicle

Has the LA Times endorsed yet?

[caligirl]

11. also the San Jose Mercury News, Santa Cruz Sentinel and one large one

from the valley, I think the Fresno paper. Not sure about the LA paper.

[Barack_America]

3. That's wonderful! Even more good news! Thanks for posting...n/t

[TeamJordan23]

4. We got San Jose Mercury, Sac Bee, and now SF Chronicle. Will LA Times be next? I sure hope so. nm

[Bread and Circus]

6. WOW... sf chronicle "gets it"

Especially in recent days, her campaign has shown the sharp elbows that evoke the ugly underside of the Clinton years, and the (Karl Rove inspired) Bush years that succeeded them: the reflex to scorch the Earth, to do what is necessary to vanquish political adversaries ... all is justified if you are left standing at the end.

[avaistheone1]

9. Chronicle gets it , but San Francisco doesn't

I'll stick with the people. They are the real San Francisco, not the Chronicle.

It won't be the first time that the Chronicle has been out of step with the people of SF.

[Bread and Circus]

10. "the people"

your point of view".

By your standards "the people" really aren't with your guy...

but in that case you blame it on the "media".

but then in 2004 he was the darling of the media and the "rockstar" candidate...

I think alot of us are just sick of divisive politics.

And yes, Edwards is preaching to the choir. But his "two americas" body of discourse has a divisiveness all its own.

Edwards helped create these two Americas with his voting record mind you.

Nonetheless, Edwards would probably make a good President and is my current second choice.

[Mz Pip]

8. Here's a link to his interview

with the SF Chronicle editorial board. It's long but worth the time.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2008/01/18/MNSNUH7GC.DTL&o=0

Mz Pip
:dem:

[populistdriven]

12. K&R! nt