The Des Moines Register endorsement of Obama highlights these themes:
Would work to strengthen the struggling middle class
McCain has run erratic, disappointing campaign
An appeal to bridge divisions, tackle problems
The editorial closes with this quote:
When Obama first met with the Register's editorial board more than a year ago, he emphasized that when deciding to run, "I wasn't simply a young man in a hurry."
"I think there's this particular window right now where the country is hungry for change, and is also hungry to be brought together, as opposed to being driven apart," he said. "And I thought that the particular skills that I have, of bringing people from diverse backgrounds across lines of race or party or region or faith to focus on solving problems, was a particularly useful and needed skill right now."
On a personal note:
I voted yesterday, one among many who filled the tiny Dallas County election office where early voting is being held. (910 Court Ave, Adel Iowa, for those interested.) I don't know how many of the others voting yesterday were casting ballots for Obama, but it's hard to imagine that early voting would be so brisk without the excitement Obama brought to the campaign.
Not that this is new here. Obama's support in the Adel precinct during the Iowa Caucuses overwhelmed the church basement room where the precinct caucus was held last January. My wife and I supported John Edwards, as we had in 2004, but were ready to switch to Obama if needed to be viable. Ha! Obama won three delegates, as did Edwards, with larger numbers. (Hillary Clinton won the other two.) I didn't know there were that many Democrats in our little town. The number of young people, preparing to cast their first presidential ballot this year, was astonishing, and by and large they were there for Obama.
Yesterday's post on the Becky Greenwald race for Congress speculated on the accuracy of the polls in that race. It's still a long uphill battle in this district for Obama and for Greenwald, but it looks promising.