Holy freakin' crap, Lois! The Honolulu Star-Bulletin just endorsed Obama for GE!

[KamaAina]

I suppose if Murdoch can cozy up to Hillary, anything's possible. But really, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin is the newspaper parodied by James Michener in his 1,000-page tome Hawaii. ("We deplore this development", thundered the Honolulu Mail.) For decades it has been the voice of the (staunchly repuke) Big Five sugar planters and their descendants.

Recently it was rescued from certain bankruptcy by a consortium of local (non-Big Five) businessmen and Canadian publisher David Black, not exactly a wild-eyed lefty in his own right. And yet:

http://starbulletin.com/2008/06/05/editorial/editorial01.html

EXASPERATED by a struggling economy and a war that seems to have no end in sight, most Americans want change. The presidential candidate who has most embodied that advancement from divisive politics and has inspired people with unity and hope is Democratic Sen. Barack Obama. We endorse him to be our next president....

The issue where the two candidates differ most is the war in Iraq. Obama opposed at the outset what is recognized now as a war of choice rather than of necessity. He has called for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of next year, leaving a force there for strikes against al-Qaida. McCain has favored continued occupation for an indefinite period until "victory" can be claimed.

McCain and President Bush have criticized Obama's promise to engage in talks with the nation's enemies, failing to recognize the difference between diplomacy and appeasement. Under the Bush policies, America's respect around the world has plummeted....

On too many issues, McCain agrees with Bush. Obama is correct in saying that a McCain presidency would amount to a third term of Bush policies. Change is what America needs.

GOBAMA!! :bounce:

edit: header

[book_worm]

1. On the other hand he is almost a local since he was born there

Hawaii will probably give Obama 70% of its vote in November.

[rox63]

2. YAY!!!

I'm sure it doesn't hurt that he grew up in HI.

[maxsolomon]

3. Native Son effect?

I'd wager Hawaii is feeling pretty proud of Obama.

And, for the first time in my adult life, i am feeling the same of America.

[WeDidIt]

4. The real freakout would be if the Chicago Tribune endorsed Obama

They have only ever endorsed a single Democrat in their entire history.

[featherman]

8. You mean the "Dewey Defeats Truman" Trib....? LOL

[LTR]

23. I get the feeling they might

They had a lengthy interview with him a few months ago, and seemed quite impressed. Plus, he's a Chicago guy.

The Sun-Times is a lock to endorse Obama. They shed their RW skin a few years ago.

[featherman]

5. Regardless of local ties this may be an indicator if this paper is as conservative

as you say - thanks for the info

[KamaAina]

7. It actually has been trending more toward the center since the buyout

oddly, the competing Honolulu Advertiser, originally the paper of the Democratic majority we've had since the '50s, has been lurching rightward in lockstep with all other Gannett-owned properties.

[yellerpup]

6. Looks as if the place of his birth wanted to be first to endorse Obama

for President of the United States of America! GOBAMA! :kick: K&R!

[KamaAina]

9. If it were just a question of the Native Son Effect,

there probably wouldn't be so much Bush-bashing in the piece!

[polichick]

10. Love that Aloha Spirit!

[Cha]

11. Well, ALO-HA! And,

Mahalo for the news KamaAina! B-)

Of importance in Hawaii, Obama supports Sen. Daniel Akaka's bill for Hawaiian sovereignty, while McCain has said he is "unequivocally opposed." Bush also opposes it and a McCain presidency would extend a likely presidential veto for another four or eight years.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

"Hawaii" is 50 years old.

:shrug:

[KamaAina]

13. True, but the S-B hadn't changed very much even by the time I got here.

Only under the new ownership has it taken even tentative steps into the 20th century, much less the 21st.

[Cha]

24. Yeah, Hawaii

became a state on August 21, 1959B-)

[onehandle]

12. Wow! Is this the first major city newspaper to do so? nt

[KamaAina]

14. Would that imply that we're a major city?

Mahalo (thank you)!

[truedelphi]

15. Hawaii is one oddball state. the whole state went for KUCINICH during the early

Priamry season.

Also little known fact - they somehow managed to keep the scalper-style mortgage firms from moving in there and make a killing, so their real estate market is not as badly hurt as the mainland's.

If the whole place wasn't going to go under water in about thirty years, I'd think of moving there.

(But who knows, maybe they will be as clever as the Netherlands in keeping the sea water at bay.)

[KamaAina]

17. I doubt very much that the whole place will go under water

certainly not the two 13,000-foot peaks on Big Island!

Just below them, the town of Waimea sits at about 2,500 feet above (current) sea level, so it, too, should be around for a while. :-)

[truedelphi]

18. Now are those volcanic peaks??

I actually have more concerns about the pesticides that I've heard are aerially sprayed to keep the pot growers from growing anything, than anything else.

But as soon I can, I do want to visit.

[KamaAina]

19. Well, technically, yes, but only one of them's actually about to blow

:-) that'd be Mauna Loa. The observatories are on the other one, Mauna Kea.

I actually have more concerns about the pesticides that I've heard are aerially sprayed to keep the pot growers from growing anything,

Ah yes, Operation Green Harvest. Naturally, the powers that be will neither confirm nor deny that the helicopters that buzz people's places down there like it was South Central L.A. are spraying herbicides (pesticides kill critters, not plants), but the CW is that they are. :grr:

The good news is that state and local politicans are starting to wise up. Hawaii County (Big Island) Council actually turned down Federal money to continue the program!

But as soon I can, I do want to visit.

Better hurry! Long before rising sea levels get us, shrinking airline capacity will, particularly United, which controls the largest share of the "lift" (total number of seats) out here, and just announced route cutbacks. :scared:

[truedelphi]

20. Here's the husband and my idyllic thought on getting there:

We sign on as cooks for someone with a private sailboat leaving from say, LA or San Francisco. No need to stand in line at the airport. No need to crawl into eensie little seats and suffer for hours.

Just us cooking up a storm until the ocean waves bring us to a Hawaiian port.

[Cha]

25. I'm moving back there in 2 two years..so

I guess I'll go under water with my son and his family.

[truedelphi]

27. Glug Glug Glug.

It's been fun! Zidzi. I guess learning to swim might help!!

[Cha]

28. It has been real... but swimming

has always come second nature to me.

Aloha, truedelphi :hi:

[slinkerwink]

16. GoBama!

[AZBlue]

21. Is it the first GE endorsement?

I've been a little out of touch lately, but I haven't seen any others yet. I was wondering when they would start. This is fantastic news!

[Honeycombe8]

22. This early? Wow. Great! But you DO know that Obama is from Hawaii, right? nt

[RichardRay]

26. I lived there for four years

in the late 50's, before the puka in the pali made the windward side of Oahu a suburb of Honolulu. We lived in Kokokahi between Kanehone and Kailua. My dad was an editor for the Advertiser (the Star-Bulletin's morning competition). He used to commute over the old Nu‘uanu Pali Road every night at 3 AM to get home after putting the paper to bed. Of course, be never carried pork over the road; how does Pele deal with the tunnel? :-)

At any rate, I can confirm absolutely the political perspective of th S-B; an Obama endorsement from them is far beyond what a Native Son influence could obtain.