I'm glad that there are other newspapers here in Texas who do things right when it comes to endorsing presidential candidates.
The disgrace of a newspaper that supposedly serves my area, the Dallas Morning News, couldn't have gotten it more wrong when it endorsed John McCain, citing one false pretense (he'll be a departure from George W. Bush) while never once discussing the moral scumbag McCain picked for his running mate, Sarah Palin.
To go with the historic endorsement of the Houston Chronicle (which hadn't endorsed a Democrat since LBJ in 1964), the Austin American-Statesman (which endorsed Bush in 2004) has now endorsed Barack Obama.
More below.
The most impressive thing about the Statesman's endorsement is its citation of Obama's discipline, which he has shown lots of throughout this campaign. Here's part of the Statesman's endorsement:
In the third and final debate last week, John McCain, the Republican senator from Arizona, tried to bait him into the gutter, but Obama refused to get down there. Political wisdom dictates that candidates who are attacked return double the fire directed at them. Obama responded calmly, defending himself but declining to respond in kind.
Now that's change.
Contrasted to McCain's erratic behavior as Wall Street stumbled badly, Obama has been calm under pressure and making constructive proposals to lead us out of the mess McCain and his Republican friends wrought the last eight years.
Here's more of the Statesman endorsement:
On taxes, on foreign policy, on energy and on health care, Obama shows a firm grasp on the problems and a solid grip on solutions.
Obama would not isolate our nation's enemies but talk to them. There is no dishonor in diplomacy, as President Nixon demonstrated when he went to China.
Obama, an opponent of the long, expensive war in Iraq, wants to withdraw troops from that country — not a retreat but a phased withdrawal over 16 months. Iraqis want us out, and we should accommodate them as quickly as is practical. That would free up resources to confront the growing dangers in Afghanistan.
On energy production, McCain spotlights a false promise of cheap gasoline. He mentions renewable resources, but almost in passing. Obama concentrates his discussion of energy on moving the country beyond the talking stages of diversifying its energy sources and making that talk reality. Offshore drilling alone won't lower the price of gasoline immediately — and maybe not ever.
I couldn't agree more with the Statesman. My wife and I are making sure we are among the first to vote when early voting begins tomorrow, and I can't wait to put still another nail on the coffin of the evil John McCain campaign and all the Republican policies he has advocated all these years.
Let's help Barack close the deal!