"near clean sweep of major Texas newspapers endorsing Obama" ... today the Houston Chronicle!

[RedEarth]

- Austin Chronicle
- Austin-American Statesman
- BurntOrangeReport
- Dallas Morning News
- El Paso Times
- San Antonio's Express-News


And today .......

Houston Chronicle Endorses Obama!
by: vitaminBB
Sat Feb 16, 2008 at 10:20:43 AM CST
(great news! if houston goes big, so might Texas tip into Obama's column. - promoted by mariochampion)

This makes a near clean sweep of major Texas newspapers endorsing Barack. What else is there to say?
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/5546874.html

The presidency of the United States is a powerful bully pulpit. The occupant of the White House must not only issue orders, but also inspire and advocate for all Americans.
Of the two finalists for the Democratic presidential nomination, the Chronicle believes Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois is best-qualified by life experience, skill and temperament to be the standard bearer for his party. In a conference call, Obama told the Chronicle editorial board that "more than any other candidate, I can bridge some of the partisan as well as racial and religious divides that have developed in this country that prevent us from getting things done."

http://blog.texansforobama.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=817

Obamanos!!!

[bilgewaterbill]

1. HellOOO! Firewall? Texas?

[Debi]

2. *sigh* I guess Texas doesn't matter

:shrug:

[bilgewaterbill]

10. Happy Birthday, Darlin'.

You don't look a day over 39! I hope you are celebrating in the fine fashion to which you are entitled. If not, call me!

[Debi]

14. Ha ha, thank you!

:toast: I'm being spoiled by my son and husband (cup cakes, chocolates, and soon a delicious steak!)

But if they ever start slackin...I'll keep you in mind! :loveya:

[Cha]

12. I"m hoping "it doesn't matter"..'cause

they've already locked themselves in that box.

[Debi]

15. I don't think things will go well if TX & OH firewalls fail

Can Pennsylvania change the end result?

[WolverineDG]

22. Yes

but it sure is hard work making it that way.

dg

[Bitwit1234]

20. Golly when are the little green men from mars endorse him.

[TwilightGardener]

3. Truly awesome. Newspaper endorsements really seem to help him.

I think they sort of legitimize him to older folks who don't get their news from the internet and are suspicious of the "new kid on the block".

[polpilot]

4. Relocate firewall to Gulf of Mexico.

[thunder rising]

5. how embarrassing, UTEP made her an Honorary Miner.

Look the University of Texas at El Paso is a very good Engineering University. The politics at the non-engineering areas are generally well ... ahhh ... fucked up.

[Yael]

6. She may want to leave WI now.

Her firewall needs a major reboot and likely a service pack applied.

[crispini]

7. You know, they're all going to line up and endorse McCain in the general.

Especially the Dallas Managed News.

Getting right-wings rags like this to support you is not exactly a big ol' plus in my mind.

[Cha]

13. We have to win the

general first and then cross the next bridges.

[PBS Poll-435]

29. After the DMN endorsed Bush over Kerry in 04...

I realized what they were. Dallas County, however, had other plans for John Kerry. Their OP/Ed board is still a complete mess. I am actually surprised that they endorsed anyone at all in the primary. Maybe Gravel didn't grovel enough...

[stillrockin]

8. GOBAMA!!!

:bounce:

[troubleinwinter]

9. Who are the owners?

"Sam Zell, a Chicago real estate tycoon,owns both LA Times and Chicago Tribune.
Both endorsed Obama. The LA Times hadn't endorsed a presidential candidate since the 70's until Zell bought Tribune company recently.

I find it interesting that he is a billionaire real estate magnate in Chicago, where Obama hails from and also has ties to people in the real estate business, like Rezko. He won't approve a foreclosure moratorium. I wonder why???? Maybe so his real estate magnate pals can profit from it."

I am skeptical of newspaper endorsements without knowing about ownership. Any input on this?

[mopinko]

19. ok, i live in chicago. people talking out their asses about us is

starting to get on my nerves. don't mean to be snippy. but...

sam zell JUST bought the trib a couple of months ago, and is not interfering in the editorial process. however, it is true that the trib has been a rightwing rag for it's entire existence. they endorsed barack for the DEMOCRATIC nomination. i believe they endorsed ma cain, as well, and bush twice.

chicago is a big place and rezko is not in zell's league. really. you people have no idea. here is a clue, tho. al capone has been dead for a long time. K? quit kicking my city.

[troubleinwinter]

21. The issue is not your city.

The question is about newspaper/media ownerships. Media consolidation.

When one celebrates an endorsement, it might be worth looking at the paper's ownership. Of course in a primary, a paper endorses a Dem and a Repub.

If your view is that Sam Zell is someone to be trusted and has no interest in editorial process and does not have any interest in swaying election outcome by using the substantial influence of his paper, you have just expressed that view to us.

Nonetheless, I think it is worthy of attention for people to note ownership of papers that endorse candidates. Not all may be quite as hands-off as you apparently believe Zell to be.

If a "rightwing rag" endorses a particular Dem. candidate, one might want to reflect or question why this would be, rather than automatically celebrating and assuming the paper's ownership is looking out for the best interest of Dems. Perhaps the endorsement is arrived at by some kinda panel rather than ownership... it's something to consider and question.

[mopinko]

30. sorry to be snippy. i am just so tired of people bashing my city.

there has been ssssoooo much of it, i am thinking of changing my sig line to- al capone is dead. get over it already.

sam zell says he plans to compete in the news business by putting more news in the newspaper. afaik, he has not touched the editorial board, or made any major changes. his usual m.o. is to buy a struggling entity, get it on track and sell it. i never have understood how the trib survives, but mostly it is because they sell a lot of papers in the burbs. at one time they took great pride in keeping their bias out of the news, but that died with the raygun administration.
i do not know him personally, or honestly know ALL THAT much about him. but i will say that here in chicago there are a lot of rich people, but for the most part, they continue to be good democrats. good progressive democrats, even. if people would get over their outdated ideas about this city, they would give us credit for being (one of?) the capital(s) of the blue universe.

again. sorry to be cranky. but people are starting to get to me.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

32. the trib's public editor also apologized for the 2nd Bush nomination

many people cancelled their subscriptions and complained. The chief editor, who demanded the endorsement, had a not so mini-revolution in the office.

it was an interesting time.

[tammywammy]

25. Belo owns the DMN

Houston Chronicle: Hearst Corp
Austin American Statesman: Cox Enterprise
The Austin Chronicle: The Chronicle was co-founded in 1981 by publisher Nick Barbaro and editor Louis Black, with assistance from others who largely met through the graduate film studies program at the University of Texas. Barbaro and Black are also co-founders of the South by Southwest Festival, although the festival operates as a separate company.

El Paso Times: joint ownership MediaNews Group & Gannett Company
San Antonio Express News: Hearst Corp

BurntOrangeReport: started with Byron LaMasters and Jim Dallas in April of 2003, it was a site written by students for anyone interested in listening. It was a basic live-journal and its focus on Austin and the Capitol had a modest but loyal readership.



Edited to add: Though they haven't endorsed anyone yet, the Fort Worth Star Telegram is owned by The McClatchy Company.

[misanthrope]

33. I think newspaper endorsements are a travesty...

...and a betrayal of any shred of objectivity.

[Whisp]

35. I don't understand it either...

and what exactly does that mean?
that their editiorials and stories will now be more slanted toward the endorsee?

I am glad that Obama is getting these endorsements, but am perplexed about the whole idea.

what if CNN openly endorsed Clinton?

[Cha]

11. Obamanos! Andale!

Incredible! And we have George Lopez, too! Viva Tejas!

[grantcart]

16. are these all democrat papers - any endorsing one of each party?

[crispini]

17. They are ALL endorsing one of each party.

And they will ALL endorse McCain in the general. Bet on it.

[Danger Mouse]

18. sigline...sparkly....

... :boring:

wait, what was this post about?

[WolverineDG]

23. that isn't nice

Crispy is my friend & a Democratic activist working her ass off to turn her little bit of Dallas bluer than blue. She deserves a bit more respect than that snark about her sig line (which I think is great, although I prefer the Delay indictment one--hint) It hasn't been easy for her. Okay, so I disagree with her on the nominee, but she knows what she's talking about on this particular issue.

TTTB! :toast:

dg

[tammywammy]

26. Be nice to Crispy

She's a good democrat that does know what she's talking about.

[David Zephyr]

24. All important papers.

That is nearly a sweep. Thanks for the helpful post.

[LadyVT]

27. Yep, just like California...

[jackson_dem]

28. I'm glad the msm now wants "change"

I am sure...wait let me put my drink down. Ok. I am sure they will want "change" in November too.

[respublicus]

31. Thanking the corporate controlled media for making it clear who we need to vote against.

They wouldn't have an agenda, would they?

[kennetha]

34. Newspapers don't Elect people

Voters do. Oh, I forgot Obama only cares about the voters who vote for him. That's why he wants to disenfranchise millions in Florida and Michigan and turn the superdelegates into mere rubber stamps.

[GarbagemanLB]

38. Someone call the waaambulance.

[KittyWampus]

36. hadn't seen this, whoot!

[CorpGovActivist]

37. .