Chicago Tribune Endorses First Democratic Nominee in 161-Year History

October 17, 2008 2:35 PM

The Chicago Tribune has been a bastion of Republican endorsements, having consistently endorsed every single Republican presidential nominee since it was founded in 1847. One of its earliest managing editors, Joseph Medill, was a founder of the Republican Party. Today, it endorsed its first Democratic presidential candidate in its 161-year history. And it certainly did not do so halfheartedly.

"On Nov. 4 we're going to elect a president to lead us through a perilous time and restore in us a common sense of national purpose. The strongest candidate to do that is Sen. Barack Obama. The Tribune is proud to endorse him today for president of the United States.

[...]

"On Dec. 6, 2006, this page encouraged Obama to join the presidential campaign. We wrote that he would celebrate our common values instead of exaggerate our differences. We said he would raise the tone of the campaign. We said his intellectual depth would sharpen the policy debate. In the ensuing 22 months he has done just that.

[...]

"We have tremendous confidence in his intellectual rigor, his moral compass and his ability to make sound, thoughtful, careful decisions. He is ready."

posted by WCityMike (65 comments total)

Forgot the best quote of all: "We are proud to add Barack Obama's name to Lincoln's in the list of people the Tribune has endorsed for president of the United States."
posted by WCityMike at 2:37 PM on October 17, 2008 [7 favorites]

McCain eyes his fishing gear expectantly.
posted by Burhanistan at 2:50 PM on October 17, 2008 [3 favorites]

Flag endorses wind direction.
posted by srboisvert at 2:50 PM on October 17, 2008 [84 favorites]

Gee, that's a hell of a recommendation from a typically conservative paper. But I think it's fair; Obama is much better for the job, and I think he's shown why during this campaign. I don't expect the Tribune to go "lefty" any time soon . . . but sometime a party really screws up and then tops it off with a weak candidate who shows poor leadership, shameful behavior and bad decision-making during his campaign. The Republicans and McCain have done that; it's interesting that the Tribune is pragmatic enough to acknowledge it. Small things like this almost make me confident America isn't a totally broken train.
posted by Dee Xtrovert at 2:54 PM on October 17, 2008 [2 favorites]

OnOldMcCainJoke:

Surprising since Medill knew McCain.
posted by GuyZero at 2:56 PM on October 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

Wow, that's pretty amazing. Maybe next, the NY Post?
posted by longsleeves at 2:56 PM on October 17, 2008

makes me wonder if colonel mccormick is gonna wake up as a zombie and march from cantigny to michigan ave and wrestle in the plaza for control of the newspaper.
posted by lester at 3:04 PM on October 17, 2008

It was nice of them to include a link to their old Lincoln article (PDF), but why couldn't they type it up? Now all the uppity bloggers looking for an easy quotes to grab and contrast the old and new Chicago Tribune will have to transcribe quotes, or make them up.
posted by filthy light thief at 3:05 PM on October 17, 2008

Maybe next, the NY Post?

They endorsed McCain and his "rock solid" running mate over a month ago.
posted by Combustible Edison Lighthouse at 3:06 PM on October 17, 2008

Also of note: LA Times, founded in 1881, hasn't endorsed a Presidential nominee since '72 (Nixon) and hasn't ever endorsed a Democrat, either. Until ... you guessed it ... today.

Damn it, I can't get this grin off my face.
posted by WCityMike at 3:06 PM on October 17, 2008 [4 favorites]

Here's the LA Times endorsement.
posted by scody at 3:08 PM on October 17, 2008

Dog endorses fire hydrant.
posted by clearly at 3:09 PM on October 17, 2008 [2 favorites]

that's a pretty spectacular endorsement. I felt good reading it, which is weird. It's really very well put.

Wow, that's pretty amazing. Maybe next, the NY Post?

The most you're going to get out of that piece of shit is a front page headline reading "OSAMA WINS!"
posted by shmegegge at 3:11 PM on October 17, 2008 [2 favorites]

Say it ain't so, Joe. You betcha it's just more gotcha journalism from the mainstream media.
posted by grounded at 3:12 PM on October 17, 2008

2004 endorsements.

2008 endorsements
posted by milkrate at 3:14 PM on October 17, 2008

I wonder if they'll follow up with 'It's The Tribune Wot Won It' on November 5th.
posted by jack_mo at 3:14 PM on October 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

makes me wonder if colonel mccormick is gonna wake up as a zombie and march from cantigny to michigan ave and wrestle in the plaza for control of the newspaper.

No, he won't march. He'll just hot-wire one of the decommissioned tanks.
posted by ninjew at 3:15 PM on October 17, 2008

filthy light thief: "It was nice of them to include a link to their old Lincoln article (PDF), but why couldn't they type it up? Now all the uppity bloggers looking for an easy quotes to grab and contrast the old and new Chicago Tribune will have to transcribe quotes, or make them up."

Well, since he's family (seventh cousin five times removed), I might as well:

The Presidency -- Abraham Lincoln.
Chicago Press and Tribune (1858-1860); Feb. 16, 1860.

The Presidency -- Abraham Lincoln.

Of the three or four States which are believed to constitute the debateable ground in the next Presidential campaign, and whose electoral votes will determine the result, Illinois is universally conceded to be one. It appears to be a foregone conclusion that the nomination of the Chicago Convention will be conferred upon no one who does not unite in himself the essentials of requisite qualification, devotion to the distinctive principles of the Republican party, and availability in the States alluded to above. We have no hesitation in saying that as respects the first two essentials, Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois, is the peer of any man yet named in connection with the Republican nominations, while in regard to availability, we believe him to be more certain to carry Illinois and Indiana than anyone else, and his political antecedents are such as to commend him heartily to the support of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Mr. Lincoln would now be in the seat occupied by Mr. Douglas in the U.S. Senate, but for the gross unfairness of the apportionment of our legislative representation. In his contest with Mr. Douglas in 1858, less than two hundred addditional [sic] votes in close districts, would have secured his triumph, bad as the apportionment was. At the same election the Republicans achieved a victory on their State officers -- the vote of the latter being about equal to the aggregate vote of the Douglasites and Democrats. On the popular vote in the three Northern Congressional districts there was a Republican loss of several thousand growing out of the belief that Judge Douglas had permanently broken with the Democratic party, and the persistent manner in which Eastern Republicans and newspapers advocated his election. With Mr. Lincoln as our candidate for the Presidency, not only would all these votes be recovered, but greater or less inroads would be made in the ranks of the Democracy, and the State be secured beyond any possible contingency.

But the popularity of Mr. Lincoln is not confined to Illinois or to the Northwestern States. His memorable canvass with Mr. Douglas in 1858, gave Republicans throughout the Union an opportunity of becoming familiar with his admirable personal qualities, his entire devotion to the distinctive principles of the party, his rare abilities, and his broad, statesmanlike views of national political questions. We briefly sum up some of the elements of his popularity and strength:

1st. A gentleman of unimpeachable purity of private life. His good name is not soiled by a single act, political, social, moral or religious, that we or his friends need blush to own as his. In all his relations to his fellows he has not yet been guilty of that thing upon which an enemy can place his finger and say, "this is dishonest," or "this is mean." Herein he is the peer of the most unspotted man in the Republic -- the living likeness, full length size, of the best of the eminent characters who laid the foundation of the government.

2d. A man of, at once, great breadth and great acuteness of intellect. Not learned, in a bookish sense, but master of great fundamental principles, and of that kind of ability which applies them to crises and events. The masterly canvass which he made with Douglas, and his later speeches in Ohio, mark him as one of the ablest political thinkers of his day.

3d. Right on the record. An Old Line Whig of the Henry Clay school, originally, he came early into the Republican movement, in which he has since been so conspicuous. He has that radicalism which a keen insight into the meaning of the anti-slavery conflict, is sure to give; but, coupled with it, that constitutional conservatism which could never fail in proper respect for existing institutions and laws, and which would never precipitate or sanction innovations more destructive than the abuses that they seek to correct. Right on the question of Slavery, on the Homestead question, on all the issues which divide the parties; needing no tinkering to make him acceptable to Pennsylvania and New Jersey [...] candidate of the party which in itself is an embodiment of the principles and measures necessary for the perpetuity of the Union and the preservation of our free institutions -- he would enter the field acceptable to the Opposition of all shades of opinion, harmonizing all interests, conciliating all jarring elements -- the master of the position, a guarantor of success.

4th. A man of executive capacity. Never garrulous, never promising what he cannot perform, never doing anything for show or effect, laboriously attentive to detail, industrious and conscientious, he would see to it that no want of promptness, attention or industry on his part should defeat the reforms in the administration of national affairs which Republicanism is pledged to inaugurate.

These are some of the reasons why we favor the nomination of Mr. Lincoln for the first place on the National Republican ticket. We do not know, however, that he has any aspirations for the position. While others are intriguing and trading, he is at his professional work, content to be let alone. But he is no doubt at the disposal of his friends; and we feel very confident that Illinois will present his name to the Chicago Convention, as the man, above all others, who will be most likely to lead the Republican party on to a glorious victory, and whose administration of the National Government would recall the best days of the Republic. Should the Convention give him this position, then the honor which he has not sough, but which his admirers have hoped he might attain, will, like ripe fruit, fall into his hands. Abraham Lincoln will never be President by virtue of intrigue and bargain.
posted by WCityMike at 3:22 PM on October 17, 2008 [15 favorites]

The Chi Trib is a good paper, whatever one's political views may be. Yes, it is a bit old fashioned, a bit Traditional and Conservative, but that doesn't suddenly make it a rag, just because one might not feel the same way about politics.

Surprising to see them on the right side of this one, though. Especially since that side is the "left."
posted by paisley henosis at 3:28 PM on October 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

1) There are Republican intellectuals, surely. Why doesn't the party ever run them?

2) What's the record of intellectual presidents past?
posted by ZenMasterThis at 3:38 PM on October 17, 2008

Maybe next, the NY Post?

They endorsed McCain and his "rock solid" running mate over a month ago.

I figured. Ah, well, maybe in the opposite sketches.
posted by longsleeves at 3:45 PM on October 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

1) There are Republican intellectuals, surely. Why doesn't the party ever run them?

They are too busy behind the scenes pulling the strings, maybe?

Personal cynicism aside, this is a good thing. The more these old bastions of the right wing fold to Obama, the more I hope that last minute shenanigans won't be tried.
posted by quin at 3:52 PM on October 17, 2008

Now all the uppity bloggers looking for an easy quotes...

Man am I glad I did in fact read that wrong on the first pass.
posted by Brak at 3:59 PM on October 17, 2008

Now all the uppity bloggers

The proper term is blegro.
posted by fleetmouse at 4:07 PM on October 17, 2008 [18 favorites]

FWIW


As a Chicagoan, and a kid that grew up with the Trib in downstate IL reading about the 69 Cubs, I am two inches away from dancing around in my underwear over this endorsement.

I remember every morning's paper reporting what part of the West side was still burning after MLK's assasination. A very good pal of mine lived like four houses away from where Fred Hampton was murdered. It's been rebuilt into a public housing space now.

I'm white, 47 years old, and have wish-washed all over the political spectrum, never really Republican, but leaned a bit Libertarian at times. I think this is the guy, but he just got handed a bag of crap.

It's Jimmy Carter all over again.

Lousy wars, crashing economy, whoever takes it just got a raw deal. Its no win for anyone who takes over.

The Trib endorsement is huge, I mean HUGE.

I just hope the next president can stand there and kick the side of the White House long enough to get it started again.

And just (as an ex Trib employee) I would say maybe this makes up for the Dewey Defeats Truman thing.
posted by timsteil at 4:07 PM on October 17, 2008 [3 favorites]

very nice introduction to this FPP. I did not know the trib had never before endorsed a democrat.

that said ... it would have been pretty damn stunning had they not gone for him, chicagoan or not.
posted by krautland at 4:14 PM on October 17, 2008

Dance, timesteil. Years from now do you really want to tell your kids that you thought about dancing in your underwear during these epic times?
posted by wemayfreeze at 4:16 PM on October 17, 2008 [3 favorites]

I liked this bit from the Los Angeles Times' endorsement:

We may one day look back on this presidential campaign in wonder. We may marvel that Obama's critics called him an elitist, as if an Ivy League education were a source of embarrassment, and belittled his eloquence, as if a gift with words were suddenly a defect. In fact, Obama is educated and eloquent, sober and exciting, steady and mature. He represents the nation as it is, and as it aspires to be.

Less of a surprise, the Washington Post:

A McCain presidency would not equal four more years, but outside of his inner circle, Mr. McCain would draw on many of the same policymakers who have brought us to our current state. We believe they have richly earned, and might even benefit from, some years in the political wilderness.

The Sacramento Bee says, "In this election, Americans are picking a future, not a past. That makes Barack Obama the better choice for president of the United States." And it turns out that McCain's "choice of a stunningly unqualified running mate" worked against him, as it has with several of these endorsements.

Of course, Obama had already locked up the coveted Phil Spector at his murder trial endorsement, and might get Colin Powell's this weekend.

Today, it endorsed its first Democratic presidential candidate in its 161-year history.

Ouch. Sorry, McCain, that's gonna leave a mark. In 2004 some conservative newspapers (not the Tribune) didn't like Bush but didn't feel that they could endorse Kerry, so they didn't endorse anyone.
posted by kirkaracha at 4:23 PM on October 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

I am two inches away from dancing around in my underwear over this endorsement.
I read that and instantly checked your handle, hoping you'd be a girl.

damn mefi!
posted by krautland at 4:24 PM on October 17, 2008

Although I have to say an Ivy League education was a source of embarrassment in the case of George W. Bush.
posted by kirkaracha at 4:25 PM on October 17, 2008

A few weeks ago I told my neighbor that i kept the Trib's RSS feed on my iGoogle homepage just to keep up on what was going on in Chicago. He looked at me in disbelief and called the Trib a "conservative rag" just like the NY Post and Fox News.

I now stand vindicated in my belief that while the Chicago Tribune may have a conservative bent, its not an out of control propaganda arm of the Republican Party. Its good to see that we can count on papers like the Trib to disagree with the left on many things but recognize that McCain/Palin would be disastrous to America and Obama would be the best president we've had for a long, long time.
posted by Parallax.Error at 4:32 PM on October 17, 2008

Thanks, WCityMike - I can now begin to twitter this line by line.

Actually I don't have a twitter account.

Actually I do, but I don't really use it much.

Actually I do use it, but not on weekdays.

Actually, I found those SNL skits to get old fast, so I'll stop here.
posted by filthy light thief at 4:41 PM on October 17, 2008

This might just put Obama over the top in Illinois!
posted by nicepersonality at 4:51 PM on October 17, 2008 [3 favorites]

The Trib’s a good paper.
There are several approaches to being a newspaper in a city...perhaps the last city in the U.S. - with a powerful (democrat) machine. Either lean right or adopt a ‘Pfft, sh’yeah, right’ approach.
I suppose the Sun Times is the snarky idealist end and the Trib leans.
(But the mayor deserves all the crap he’s handed from whatever side, whether he’s successful or not. I mean the city works, yeah. But you can’t ... well, shouldn’t... use that as a license to do anything.)

“I just hope the next president can stand there and kick the side of the White House long enough to get it started again.”

Yo, Obama’s more rugged than slaveman boots
New recruits, he’s fuckin' up MC troops
He break loops and trample shit while he stomp
A mudhole in that ass, cause he’s straight out the swamp

So bring it on.
posted by Smedleyman at 4:57 PM on October 17, 2008 [2 favorites]

I haven't ever read the Chicago Tribune or know anything of its history so can't quite place the significance of this endorsement. However there is some mighty, mighty fine writing in that endorsement and I think it reflects on one of Obama's qualities: he brings out the best in people.
posted by vac2003 at 5:09 PM on October 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

McCain registered two pick-ups: The Wheeling News-Register in West Virginia and the Napa Valley Register in California.
posted by netbros at 5:24 PM on October 17, 2008

Although I have to say an Ivy League education was a source of embarrassment in the case of George W. Bush.

Yes, I imagine that Yale is embarrassed.
posted by Bookhouse at 5:25 PM on October 17, 2008 [3 favorites]

McCain eyes his fishing gear expectantly.

They all knew it was over in July. That's why they chose Sarah Palin. A last roll of the dice.
posted by Zambrano at 5:35 PM on October 17, 2008

"1) There are Republican intellectuals, surely. Why doesn't the party ever run them?"

Republicans are fundamentally anti-intellectual. They associate "intellectual" with elite hand-wringing effete European Marxists. However, over the last thirty years, that repeated characterization has devolved into a stereotypical caricature. Republicans have come to associate anyone with an education, or more importantly, anyone who is a rationalist, with this image of the intellectual milksop. They are immediately dismissive of rational arguments for the reason that anyone who offers them must be a rationalist, and therefore suspect. That's why they bandy about the words "liberal", "intellectual", and "elitist" as if they were insults. To them, they are.

There are conservative intellectuals, such as George Will, the late William F. Buckley, and a handful of others. However, they have always been relegated to the sidelines of decision making in the Republican party. They function more as a reservoir of rationalizing, a pool from which Republicans can fish out effective sounding arguments to throw out at cocktail parties, as they are frequently incapable of arriving at their own opinions. I am not being facetious; Republicans view opining as a suspect intellectual exercise. They tolerated the conservative intellectualism of Bill Buckley because he was "on their side", and the presence of people like George Will are useful to present a facade of rational legitimacy to their positions, though they themselves don't really believe.

I say this, as I was raised a right-thinking conservative, and was a member of the Republican party until about fifteen years ago.

There's a reason that conservative politics and evangelical religions share much of the same demographics.
posted by Xoebe at 5:48 PM on October 17, 2008 [10 favorites]

"McCain put his campaign before his country."
This.
posted by Floydd at 6:09 PM on October 17, 2008

netbros: "36McCain registered two pick-ups: The Wheeling News-Register in West Virginia and the Napa Valley Register in California."

You're friggin' kidding me! I grew up in Napa and worked at the NV Register for a few years. I am very surprised, but I do believe it. That town has got some serious issues.
posted by iamkimiam at 6:12 PM on October 17, 2008

So Dick Cheney was visiting Crawford, Texas and he decided to go out for an early morning walk. As he sauntered along the dusty streets he saw a small boy on the side of the road with a box labeled "Free Puppies." Dick Cheney peered into the box, gazed at the wriggling puppies and broke into a lopsided grin. "Aw," he said. "Cute puppies you got there, boy." "Thanks, Mister," said the boy. "They're Republican puppies." Ol' Dick thought that was the greatest thing he ever heard, and he walked off smiling.

The next morning Dick Cheney roused George W. Bush from a deep sleep. "George, George! You have to come for a walk with me. There's this little boy with the cutest puppies you ever saw. And even better, they're Republican puppies!" "Republican Puppies?" Said George W., rubbing his eyes. "This I gotta see!"

So Dick and George walked off down the road and sure enough, there was the same little boy and the same box with the same sign: "Free Puppies." "See, George? What did I tell you? Aren't those the cute puppies?" Well, ol' George had to agree. Those puppies were pretty darn cute. "That's right, Mister," said the little boy. "These are Democratic puppies."

Dick Cheney broke into a snarl. "Democratic puppies? Yesterday you said these were Republican puppies!" "Yes, sir," replied the boy. "But today their eyes are open."
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 6:15 PM on October 17, 2008 [14 favorites]

So if Obama wins, do you think they'll start the impeachment proceedings on the day after the election, or will they wait for the inauguration?
posted by blue_beetle at 7:43 PM on October 17, 2008

That's one way to sell some papers.
posted by smackfu at 7:50 PM on October 17, 2008

Although this endorsement is interesting and welcome, the Trib of today has nowhere near the conservative bent that it did in the days of Col. Robert R. McCormick. At the very least the editorial board has some really good newspaper people on it.

Also, note that the Tribune Company (or more accurately Sam Zell) owns both The Chicago Tribune and The Los Angeles Times, as well as other media outlets.
posted by SteveInMaine at 8:02 PM on October 17, 2008

I grew up just outside of Chicago and remember that the Democratic paper was the Sun-Times and the Republican paper was the Tribune. Then in '84 Murdoch bought the Sun-Times and turned it into a tabloid piece of crap. They started publishing Mark Steyn and Robert Novak and their ilk. At least Mike Royko had the sense to get off that rat-infested trash barge when Murdoch first bought it. I still wish Roger Ebert had done the same. Yeah, the Trib was conservative, but after '84 at least it was still worth reading. While it did sometimes require politically corrective lenses to get at the information in the stories, at least it put the real stories first and made gestures toward objectivity.

To hear that the Trib and the Sun-Times (btw) both endorsed Obama today... yes, I too did a bit of a jig in my undergarments.
posted by Toekneesan at 8:27 PM on October 17, 2008

... and the little boy and his puppies were never seen or heard from again.
posted by wobh at 8:54 PM on October 17, 2008 [5 favorites]

So if Obama wins, do you think they'll start the impeachment proceedings on the day after the election, or will they wait for the inauguration?

I'm sure the possibly veto-proof Democratic congress will jump right on that.
posted by Cyrano at 9:49 PM on October 17, 2008

The trib has some pretty good distribution into IN, I wonder if it's reputation as conservative amongst those readers will sway many Hoosiers.
posted by edgeways at 10:40 PM on October 17, 2008

You bet! I'd love for them to start impeachment proceedings for Cheney and Bush on November 5, but I don't think it'll happen.

Then today I thought of Norman Mailer in When We Were Kings:

It was such a classic performance, and so beautiful, that at the moment Ali hit the knockout punch, Foreman began to go, Ali followed him around as if--Ali had his right cocked for one more punch, he never threw it, because he didn't want to ruin the aesthetic of this man going down with a clumsy punch on the way down.

Obama bomaye!
posted by kirkaracha at 10:45 PM on October 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

So if Obama wins, do you think they'll start the impeachment proceedings on the day after the election, or will they wait for the inauguration?

Look, I'm sure the Republicans want Obama impeached as soon as possible, but even they will have to wait until he has at least hired some interns, right?
posted by DreamerFi at 11:59 PM on October 17, 2008

Impeach Obama?

I saw a headline calling for his impeachment just last night. Get in line boys.
posted by tgyg at 1:19 AM on October 18, 2008

Although I have to say an Ivy League education was a source of embarrassment in the case of George W. Bush.

A C average is the Ivy league version of Epic Fail for those who are unaware of how hard it is to fail once you get in to those schools.
posted by srboisvert at 1:58 AM on October 18, 2008 [1 favorite]

Flag endorses wind direction.

You don't need a Weatherman to know which way the wind blows.
posted by cenoxo at 2:09 AM on October 18, 2008

but even they will have to wait until he has at least hired some interns, right?

Fuck that. They'll have to wait until they have a majority in the US Senate and House again, which may be many years from now.

I am so sick of republicans. Fucking junior league nazi pigs.

That is all.
posted by fourcheesemac at 7:32 AM on October 18, 2008 [1 favorite]

A C average is the Ivy league version of Epic Fail for those who are unaware of how hard it is to fail once you get in to those schools.

You obviously didn't attend Cornell's Engineering school.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 8:59 AM on October 18, 2008

Yeah, this is surprising in historical terms, but not so surprising if you know that the Trib accommodates itself to being in a Democratic city and regularly endorses them at lower levels of office than President. It's also not surprising if you've been reading the Trib's rather enthusiastic hometown-hero coverage of the Obama candidacy. (True, not compared to the Sun-Times, whose coverage has been positively giddy.)

That said, I'll repeat here for emphasis my anecdote that the Trib once called my grandfather a Communist, in a kind of anti-endorsement, just because he was from the University of Chicago (and was running for a suburban school board). This doesn't make any sense whatsoever if you know either my late grandfather or the University (home of capitalist economic thought). But a few readers might have been hoodwinked, tying this in with Xoebe's comment about Republican anti-rationalism. It has deep roots.
posted by dhartung at 9:00 AM on October 18, 2008

From Wikipedia:

Newspapers endorsing Bush in 2004 and Obama in 2008: Vancouver (WA) Columbian, Pleasanton (CA) Tri-Valley Herald, Stockton Record, Canton Repository, Wisconsin State Journal, San Bernardino County Surf, Easton (PA) Express-Times, Chicago Tribune, Salt Lake Tribune, Denver Post

Combined circulation: 1.8 Million

Combined circulation of all papers endorsing McCain (including the New York Post): 1.7 Million
posted by ormondsacker at 9:29 AM on October 18, 2008

I am so sick of republicans. Fucking junior league nazi pigs.

So sick that you can't even appreciate a little joke about impeachment?
posted by DreamerFi at 9:38 AM on October 18, 2008

The Chicago Tribune has been a bastion of Republican endorsements, having consistently endorsed every single Republican presidential nominee since it was founded in 1847.

Er, I hate to burst your bubble, but this is incorrect. From the article itself:

With that in mind, in 1872 we endorsed Horace Greeley, who ran as an independent against the corrupt administration of Republican President Ulysses S. Grant. (Greeley was later endorsed by the Democrats.) In 1912 we endorsed Theodore Roosevelt, who ran as the Progressive Party candidate against Republican President William Howard Taft.

It's an interesting endorsement from a right-leaning paper, but I could do without the hyperbole.
posted by speicus at 4:01 PM on October 18, 2008

New York Daily News, Detroit Free Press switch from Bush '04 to Obama '08.
Bush papers supporting Obama: 2.9 million readers
Bush papers supporting McCain: 2.3 million readers
posted by ormondsacker at 10:32 PM on October 18, 2008

The Chronicle endorses Barack Obama for president and Joe Biden for vice president of the United States
posted by lenny70 at 2:38 AM on October 19, 2008

Ol' Dick thought that was the greatest thing he ever heard, and he walked off smiling.

That should be, "And he walked off with a warm and content snarl."


The next morning Dick Cheney roused George W. Bush from a deep sleep.

Bush able to enjoy a deep sleep with all the troubles the country is facing? I find that hard to believe-- oh wait, I guess that makes sense. And after all, he's apparently found time to vacation in Crawford.


Dick Cheney broke into a snarl.

"Dick Cheney's warm snarl reverted back to a curmudgeony snarl."


"Yes, sir," replied the boy. "But today their eyes are open."

"...As Dick struggled to restrain himself from cursing the boy out, an oblivious George embraced one of the puppies and exclaimed with pure unbridled delight, 'Hey Dick, this one looks like just you, hehe! Aww...'"
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 4:37 AM on October 19, 2008

Colin Powell endorses Barack Obama.

More importantly, he does what no one else in the media or in either party has been willing to do, and calls the Republicans on the "Obama's a Muslim" tactic, saying "I am also troubled by not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say, and it is permitted to be said such things as 'Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.' Well, the correct answer is 'he's not a Muslim, he's a Christian, he's always been a Christian,' but the really right answer is 'What if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country?' The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?"

He goes on to tell the story of a Muslim-American soldier who was 14 on 9/11, and died serving in Iraq at 20.
posted by Caduceus at 10:20 AM on October 19, 2008

'What if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country?' The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?"

Even McCain bears some of the blame. In that incident with the nutty lady being afraid of Obama, and thinking he's an "Arab," while McCain does defend Obama, he only defends Obama. "He's a decent, family man." It kinda comes across as implying that Arabs can't be trusted, and can't be decent family men. As long as he's an American and Christian, you don't have to fear him, but if he's not either one, it's a shortcoming. On the other hand, I haven't heard too many on the Democratic side make the same argument. It's only a matter of defending Obama, and not those who are Muslim or of Middle Eastern descent.

I'm really curious what McCain rallies would be like if he had picked Jindall to be his VP...
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 1:33 PM on October 19, 2008