Cleveland Plain Dealer Endorses Obama!!!!!!!!!!

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

Largest paper in Ohio!! Whoo-Hoo!!!!!!!

BARRING SOME UNFORESEEABLE EVENT, the Democratic Party is about to make history. Its presidential nominee this November will be either the first woman or the first African-American to carry the standard of a major political party. With the contest between Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois a virtual deadlock, Ohio Democrats on March 4 can play a critical role in this historic decision.

As usual with intraparty battles, the policy and ideological differences between Clinton and Obama are slight. Both share the party's liberal traditions on social and domestic issues. Both are committed to expanding health coverage and to closing the gap between rich and poor. Both oppose the Bush administration's strategy in Iraq. Both promise to break America's addiction to carbon-based fuels.

Given these similarities, Ohio Democrats have to ask themselves which candidate is more likely, first, to win the White House, and, then, to persuade a closely divided country to embrace his or her vision of change. Put even more pointedly: Who is more likely to change the world of a child born in 2008?

The answer, we think, is Barack Obama.

http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2008/02/plain_dealer_endorses_obama_mc.html#obama

:bounce: :toast: :headbang: :headbang: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :applause: :applause: :applause: :patriot:

[my3boyz]

1. Awesome! nt

[Tatiana]

2. Whoa! This is HUGH!!!!!!!

Seriously, I didn't expect them to endorse. Surprising.

[usregimechange]

3. Excellent!

[DesertFlower]

4. great news.

:toast:

[jackson_dem]

5. Obama is up 3.2:1 in newspaper endorsements so this is no surprise

We should be asking why the same media folks who brought us the last eight years prefer Obama by such a lopsided margin...

[Radical Activist]

6. I wonder if Kucinich will endorse.

Since Ohio matters now. He's popular in Cleveland.

[bilgewaterbill]

10. I'm leaning toward Obama but waiting for DK's endorsement.

[Radical Activist]

14. If he endorses at all

I would think its Obama because of the Iowa thing. But he may want to stay out of the Presidential race now and focus on his Congressional district.

[bilgewaterbill]

17. Good point!

[sniffa]

24. He'd be smart to endorse Obama

And get involved in at least one of the rallies Obama will hold. Obama has coat tails for him.

(How is DK doing in the polls there?)

[Radical Activist]

28. Good point.

They would both help eachother since Dennis has his own following as well.
I haven't seen any polls.

[blm]

20. I've been with DK for three decades - he won't side with entrenched power

when there is a chance for change. Obama.

[bilgewaterbill]

27. That's exactly what I thought!

[fenriswolf]

34. here is some info re: kucinich endorsment of obama

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0108/Kucinich_sorta_endorses_Obama.html



vpod of kucinich: http://light.vpod.tv/?s=0.0.421528

and more here : http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/01/abcs-david-chal.html

[geiger]

59. Yeah, DK is all for the little guy.....

himself.

You won't see any endorsement out of him, nor would either of the candidates in their right mind want it.

He's cooked his goose, albeit he's heartbreakingly right on all the issues.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

68. Why? You Aren't Capable Of Thinking For Yourself?

Sorry to hear that.

[bilgewaterbill]

70. CA primary is over. There is no rush.

I'm capable of thinking for myself. My waiting for DK's opinion hinges mostly on whether he vociferously endorses a candidate or just backs the party's nominee.

[Dr.Phool]

13. He already told his supporters to go Obama.

[fenriswolf]

really? link?

[Radical Activist]

16. That was just for Iowa.

He hasn't made a broader endorsement yet, but I'm sure many Kucinich supporters will consider the Iowa pledge.

[fenriswolf]

18. oh ok that makes sense I think

why only endorse for one state though?

[Radical Activist]

21. Because of the caucus system.

Dennis knew he wasn't going to be viable in a lot of precincts and that his supporters were going to have to make a second choice.

[fenriswolf]

15. as a progressive

I think he has rejected both of them. Of course I can't speak for him but I doubt he will endorese either one of them.

[Yael]

19. He did. Just before Iowa

Pissed the Edwards people (ie, me) off back then.

[OzarkDem]

56. Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones has endorsed Clinton

Her endorsement and that of Dem Gov. Ted Strickland, carry far more weight than Pee Dee's. I doubt Kucinich would endorse Obama, but who knows.

[Radical Activist]

57. Pee Dee?

Still mad that he helped out the more progressive candidate in Iowa this time?

[CitizenLeft]

7. whoa Daddy

I would've thought they'd go the other way. Wow!

[Renew Deal]

8. That's way early.

I wonder why.

[sniffa]

9. Woah!

:bounce:

[Barack_America]

11. Wow. The Plain Dealer is very influential.

Great endorsement.

Thanks for posting!

[AnOhioan]

31. I live in Cleveland...the PD is a rag

They have been torching Dennis for years, recently endorsing his main rival in the Democratic primary for the 10th Congressional District. Although I like Obama better, I would not count on the PD's endorsement of him as swaying any votes.

[fenriswolf]

35. didnt they endorse cimperman?

[AnOhioan]

36. Yes, Dennis' 'main rival'

[fenriswolf]

37. fucking 'puke

I hope dennis kicks all their asses. any word? kinda hard to get local news. any polls being done in the cleveland area yet?

[AnOhioan]

42. None that I am aware of yet

Cimperman is throwing up ads on TV with the money be brought in from the lawyers, etc.

Dennis has the clout of the unions behind him, they are promising an all-out effort to get him re-elected.

This is the first time Dennis has faced a credible opponent in the congressional primary, this one has money as well. No predictions from me, all I can say is that Dennis has my vote.

[fenriswolf]

43. formidable is more the word, I wouldn't really call cimperman

"credible" at least from what i have read of him.

[AnOhioan]

45. Cimperman does have support

Before his run at Dennis I thought pretty highly of him. Since he declared his candidacy though, he has gone negative. The fact is, Cimperman has the financial backing to make a race out of it. I only hope that Dennis' supporters do not take his re-election for granted.

[Kolesar]

48. That aggressive letter that Cimperman wrote to the local punk did not impress me

You know, the letter where he told the punk he was headed for jail or for the morgue (or something like that). Cimperman milked it for media appearances all over Ohio and beyond.

[AnOhioan]

50. That was not Cimperman, that was Councilman Polensek

[Kolesar]

51. Ha!

WTF do I know?
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Polensek+punk

[OzarkDem]

62. Sean Penn in town next weekend to raise money for Dennis

I'm going, though I've already contributed.

[OzarkDem]

61. Cimperman doesn't even live in the district

Yet the Pee Dee endorses him :eyes:

[VolcanoJen]

12. Oh, hell yes!!!

Wow. That's kinda early, isn't it? Wonderful news!!!

[Zueda]

22. WOOOOT! WOOOT!

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

30. Triple WOOOOOT!

[irish.lambchop]

23. That is excellent news!

Ohio is being looked at as a battleground of sorts for this election, yes? As it was in 2004?

[K Gardner]

25. Heh Heh !!

[Algorem]

26. the thing to do is be happy if the plain dealer doesn't endorse you

unless you're a republic

actually,not even if you're a republic

it more likely should fill you with fear

and loathing

and a vague unscratchable itchy despair

in the id

infesting even to the superego

and sometimes a noticeable unhealthy looking greenish tinge to the toenails

[1776Forever]

29. Yes Yes Yes!!! Happy days are here!!!

Yipeeeeeeeee~~

:toast: :party: :toast:

[riverwalker]

32. oh yeah

:bounce:

[Ikonoklast]

33. That's just for the Democratic side

They also endorsed McCain for the Dark Side.


Fuck The Plain Dealer, that right-wing rag.

That's from an old Cleveland Press paperboy. Now THAT was a Democratic paper.

[jimshoes]

44. I always liked the Press better too

I miss it and yes, the paper's detractors called it a liberal rag. I worked with one of them, he was a putz.

[Thrill]

38. Thats a good one

[Cha]

39. Hey, I like this!! :-)

"Given these similarities, Ohio Democrats have to ask themselves which candidate is more likely, first, to win the White House, and, then, to persuade a closely divided country to embrace his or her vision of change. Put even more pointedly: Who is more likely to change the world of a child born in 2008?"

[Unsane]

40. This really is hugh.

[Kolesar]

41. This endorsement will be influential in Ohio

The PD gets lots of eyes. I know I read it almost every day...online

[Faygo Kid]

46. Yes, this is a very big newspaper endorsement.

I'm sure Hillary would have liked it.

Now we have to put up with the trashing-the-Plain-Dealer threads because they dared to endorse someone else.

[AnOhioan]

47. I don't trash the PD because of who they endorsed.

I will vote Obama myself. I trash them because they deserve the trashing. They might have endorsed Obama for the primary but you can count on a McCain endorsement in the general. They are very right-wing.

[Kolesar]

49. The Columbus Dispatch &Warren Tribune are very right wing

The PD is just cursed with Brent Larkin and Kevin OBrien on the editorial board. The PD actually has some writers who I like very much. They covered anti-Bush and anti-Cheney rallies we organized. They covered the wind turbines project well.

[OzarkDem]

54. Generally Dems vote opposite of a Pee Dee endorsement

unless they're endorsing a long time incumbent. They're widely known as a GOP leaning news outlet. The list of Dems they hated and wrote against who went on to higher office is very long indeed, including Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, Dennis Kucinich and others.

In a Dem primary, where Dems will be voting, and where the Gov. Strickland and Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones both endorse Clinton, the Pee Dee endorsement will be viewed as just another attack against Dems.

Sorry, folks. Obama won't carry Ohio and the Pee Dee endorsement helped seal the deal.

[Kolesar]

58. Many of my peers moved from outside of Ohio &they would trust the Plain Dealer

Even the Democrats. My coworker from Oregon says the PD is a very good paper. And he is an antiwar guy and former forester.

When I read the PD endorsement, they said they would not support Clinton because of Whitewater and Monica. What bullshit. It was the media who *made* those stories because they hated the Democrats.

[OzarkDem]

64. Shows what people in Oregon know

:shrug:

[HughBeaumont]

52. Wow, the Blame Dealer actually does something right for a fucking change.

You'd think they'd go all status quo on us as usual, given the sainting they bestow upon idiots such as George Voinovich and Mike DeWine.

[OzarkDem]

55. They've always hated Bill Clinton

They blamed him for cleaning up the mess in the Balkans. Top Pee Dee editors (and their BFF Voinovich) were big fans of Milosevich. It carried over into a grudge against Gore, too. There was no way in hell Voino was going to let them endorse Hillary.

[OzarkDem]

53. Great news for Clinton! Very great news!

The Plain Dealer is very conservative, legendary for relentless attacks and reporting with a conservative slant. As a result, they have ZERO credibility with Dem leaning voters. In 2004, they refused to endorse Kerry, even though a majority of the editorial board supported him.

Same applies for their endorsements for local and state Dem races - if Pee Dee endorses a Dem, everyone usually votes the opposite.

Sorry, Obama supporters, but the Pee Dee just gave you the kiss of death in northern Ohio. You have my sympathy.

[Unbowed]

60. Wonderful endorsement.

They sum it up quite nicely: "who is more likely to change the world of a child born in 2008?"

[OzarkDem]

63. Not if you live in Ohio - Pee Dee is lower than snake-doo doo here.

Their de-facto editor is George Voinovich. They're resented by readers for all their coverups of GOP corruption that have hurt the state.

[Unbowed]

65. Here? Ohio?

Transplanted from the Ozarks then, or am I geographically challenged?

[OzarkDem]

67. Living in NE Ohio since 1990

actively involved in Dem politics.

[Unbowed]

69. Good. We need all the Dems we can get in Ohio.

:hi:

We are all hoping for a blue Ohio come November.

[AlertLurker]

66. I wouldn't wipe my bum with the Plain Dealer...

I'd be afraid of catching something communicable.

Blogs that aren't blogs, reporters who aren't reporters, stories that are actually JUST...well...STORIES...

I really wonder why they would do this, at this time, however.