A bit surprising, Trib. endorses Obama

[never cry wolf]

A bit surprising for me, not that I thought they would actually endorse Keyes, but I considered it a strong possibility that they could just not endorse. However, their endorsement of Obama was not given grudgingly, but in glowing terms, which is what really surprised me.


In his autobiography, Barack Obama recounts one of his first lessons in Chicago politics, received while getting a haircut in Hyde Park, just days after arriving here to become a community organizer.

"People weren't just proud of Harold," the barber told Obama about the night Harold Washington was elected as Chicago's first black mayor. "They were proud of themselves."

Nearly two decades later, that's how many in the black community, the white community, the suburban community, the Downstate community and even many in the Republican community are talking about Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Barack Obama.

They see not only an African-American politician with great promise. They see a rare example of someone who is able to rise above ethnic and racial divides and political partisanship and find the best in people, find common ground and solve problems. They are proud that such a person hails from Illinois.

So are we. The Tribune today offers a heartfelt endorsement for Barack Obama in the race for the U.S. Senate.

Much more---> http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0410240403oct24,1,1903804.story?coll=chi-news-hed

[lil-petunia]

1. did they even mention Keyes?

I cancelled my subscription after their Bush endorsement, so I don't read it, even on the web.

[never cry wolf]

2. Mentioned Keyes only in passing at the end

here:


Some unusual circumstances have played on this race. A leading Democratic primary candidate imploded after divorce record disclosures. The Republican primary winner, Jack Ryan, withdrew from the race after embarrassing disclosures from his own divorce files. The leaderless Republicans flailed for weeks before choosing a replacement. And then they chose the bombastic, ultra-conservative Alan Keyes of Maryland, who instantly alienated great swaths of the state with his shrill rhetoric. It is hard now to call this a contest.

If Jack Ryan had remained in the race, though, the outcome of the election and the Tribune's choice would have been the same.

Obama's election to the Senate is a foregone conclusion. The self-described skinny guy with a funny name who says he survived college with two towels in the bathroom and three plates in the kitchen is already being talked about as a candidate one day for president.

That underscores the unique pressures he will face in the Senate, where he likely will be the only African-American. He hasn't left the Illinois Senate, yet he's already in great demand around the country from Democrats who want to be linked to his star.

The expectation here is that Obama won't succumb to the pressures or get caught up in the celebrity. The expectation is that he will be an effective senator because he will listen to Illinoisans, and to the voice that has gotten him this far--his own.

[aldian159]

3. Shit

I think if the Trib endorsed Alan, they would be exposed as the right wing whores they are. By endorsing Obama, they keep some thread of legitimacy as a major paper.

[barb162]

4. If lyin' Ryan were still running, I bet the Trib would have endorsed

Ryan.

[Fed Up]

5. diamond ring vs. dog turd. Who you gonna endorse?

No brainer, even the Trib can't pick the dog turd.

[lil-petunia]

6. how can you say that? they endorsed Bush!

A Keyes endorsement would have been hysterically funny. Their Bush endorsement was pathetically sad. But as promised, I am writing and calling advertisers and telling them Nothing from me so long as they advertise in the trib.

[Logansquare]

7. Bush and Obama, now that goes together like...

bagpipes and guitars
pickled beets and ice cream
flip flops and a tuxedo

Trust the Tribune to get it right!