A place for us to learn about science, old and new. A place for us to make sense of the world and rail against the nonsense. A place for me and you, dear reader, to exchange opinions on music, literature, and all that greets our senses.
The Script have just vaulted to the top of the charts in the UK. They describe their genre as Celtic Soul, but I would call it Celtic Rock. They have elements of U2, Savage Garden (listen to "Before the Worst"), and a dash of hip-hop. Listen, they are good. Here is their homepage.
What do you say when the revolution is televised? The world has seen the celebrations in Chicago, New York, Washington DC, and in pubs and gathering places around the country and across the globe. What can I add to that? Just this: I was surprised at the surprise. For months I have been following the polls closely, to the point of knowing , thanks to fivethirtyeight.com, which polls have a Democratic lean (e.g. PPP) or a Republican lean (e.g. Mason-Dixon), why there wasn't going to be a Bradley effect, what kind of inside straight McCain would need to eke out a win, etc. So I was confident that Barack would win. And I, and most pundits, and the candidates themselves, downplayed the effect of race on the race. Race may have played a role earlier in the contest, but by now it was all supposed to be about the economy, Iraq, Palin's lack of competence, McCain's erratic behavior, Bush fatigue.
And then, when the election was called, many people reacted with disbelief. And they celebrated. The celebrations were partly about the change in parties and policy, but they were mostly about something which has hardly been talked about. And so I was surprised at how much of John McCain's gracious concession speech centered on race.
And I realized how important it was to me to see the color barrier broken, to see a dream realized. For one night, all thoughts of President Bush, war, and the economic crisis faded as we entered a new world. The impossible has happened. I should have been surprised.
Caption: Colorado State University student, Mercedes Scott, looks in disbelief at the election results on her cell phone which shows Barack Obama the winner in the presidential race Tuesday night, Nov. 4, 2008, in the Black Student Services office on the CSU campus.
[Originally posted 2/4/08; FINAL UPDATE 11/4/08 11:30 AM]
[Following Obama's clinching of the nomination, I will include only notable or unexpected endorsements. IMPORTANT NOTE: The Newspaper endorsements are from the primary season. I will add 'General Election' next to papers which endorse him over McCain, but I doubt that my marking will be complete. If you don't see a mark next to a paper, don't assume they haven't endorsed him for the General Election.]
I have decided to leave my two previous endorsement posts alone (Barack Obama Endorsements [January 4-14] and Obama Endorsements January 14-28), and keep one running list of endorsements (people more or less in reverse chronological order; newspapers by state). I don't claim this is complete, but I hope it gives a sense of the breadth of his support. Endorsements before the beginning of the year are NOT listed [I've added some to the bottom of the list]. Feel free to email me if I've missed an important endorsement. (I list endorsers that I think will have an impact—no judgment is made about their positive or negative value.) Recently added endorsements are in green.[3/31: Following the lead of the Superdelegate endorsement list Pelosi Club, I am adding a separate list of people who have not endorsed Obama, but are superdelegates who will vote for the winner of the pledged delegates, which is all but certain to be Senator Barack Obama. See also The Cantwell Club about the Pelosi Club's most exclusive member (she has nowendorsed Obama).]
"Florida and the United States have the opportunity to vote for one of the 'best and brightest' as president -- without a doubt such person is Senator Barack Obama."
Former Republican Sen. Larry Pressler (of SD; story)
Former Republican Sen. Charles McC. Mathias Jr. (of MD; endorsement)
Former Republican Gov. William Weld (of MA; story)
"Senator Obama is a once-in-a-lifetime candidate who will transform our politics and restore America's standing in the world. We need a president who will lead based on our common values and Senator Obama demonstrates an ability to unite and inspire."
Former Republican Gov. Arne Carlson (of MN; story)
Michael Smerconish (Conservative Radio Host; Story; Audio)
"I’ve decided. My conclusion comes after reading the candidates’ memoirs and campaign platforms, attending both party conventions, interviewing both men multiple times, and watching all primary and general election debates.
John McCain is an honorable man who has served his country well. But he will not get my vote. For the first time since registering as a Republican 28 years ago, I’m voting for a Democrat for president.
I may have been an appointee in the George H.W. Bush administration, and master of ceremonies for George W. Bush in 2004, but last Saturday I stood amidst the crowd at an Obama event in North Philadelphia."
"This year's presidential election is among the most significant in our nation's history. The country urgently needs a visionary leader who can ensure the future of our traditional strengths in science and technology and who can harness those strengths to address many of our greatest problems: energy, disease, climate change, security, and economic competitiveness.
We are convinced that Senator Barack Obama is such a leader, and we urge you to join us in supporting him."
"I have known John McCain personally since 1982. I wrote a well-received speech for him. ... I thought at the time, God, this guy should be president someday. ... This campaign has changed John McCain. It has made him inauthentic. A once-first class temperament has become irascible and snarly; his positions change, and lack coherence; he makes unrealistic promises, such as balancing the federal budget “by the end of my first term.” Who, really, believes that? Then there was the self-dramatizing and feckless suspension of his campaign over the financial crisis. His ninth-inning attack ads are mean-spirited and pointless. And finally, not to belabor it, there was the Palin nomination. What on earth can he have been thinking? ...
As for Senator Obama: He has exhibited throughout a “first-class temperament,” pace Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.’s famous comment about FDR. ...
I’ve read Obama’s books, and they are first-rate. He is that rara avis, the politician who writes his own books. Imagine. He is also a lefty. I am not. I am a small-government conservative...
Obama has in him...the potential to be a good, perhaps even great leader. He is, it seems clear enough, what the historical moment seems to be calling for."
Wick Allison (owner of D magazine, former board member of the National Review; endorsement: A Conservative for Obama)
Former Republican Gov. Linwood Holton (of VA; story)
"If the vice president were ever called on to lead the country, there is no question in my mind that the experience and demonstrated judgment of Joe Biden is superior to that of Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin is a plucky, exciting candidate, but when her record is examined, she fails miserably with respect to her views on the domestic issues that are so important to the people of the U.S., and to me. Frankly, it would scare me if she were to succeed John McCain in the presidency."
Conservative Activist Larry Hunter (his Daily News opinion piece)
"How could I support a candidate with a domestic policy platform that's antithetical to almost everything I believe in?
The answer is simple: Unjustified war and unconstitutional abridgment of individual rights vs. ill-conceived tax and economic policies - this is the difference between venial and mortal sins."
Former Vice President Al Gore (TN)
Senator Hillary Clinton (NY; former first lady, presidential candidate; video of entire endorsement speech) video of news story on her endorsement:
Superdelegates of 6 June (DNC switchers, Reps, Senators, Governors, DPLs): Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) Rep. Mike McIntyre (NC) Rep. Bob Etheridge (NC) Sen. Jack Reed (RI) Gov. Steve Beshear (KY) Gov. Joe Manchin (WV) Rep. Tim Ryan (OH) (switch from Clinton) DNC Garry Shay (CA) (switch from Clinton) DNC Yolanda Caraway (DC) (switch from Clinton) Rep. Jason Altmire (PA)
Superdelegates of 5 June (DNC switchers, Reps, Senators, Governors, DPLs):
[Note: I am not bolding Reps who switch any more. The train has already left the station, so to speak.]
Former House Speaker Tom Foley (WA; switched from Clinton)
Rep. Jay Inslee (WA; switched from Clinton)
Rep. Nikki Tsongas (MA)
Gov. Ted Strickland (OH; switched from Clinton)
DNC Billi Gosh (VT; switched from Clinton)
Rep. Diana DeGette (CO; switched from Clinton)
Rep. Zach Space (OH)
Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (FL)
Rep. Corrine Brown (FL)
Rep. Kendrick B. Meek (FL)
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL)
Rep. Jim Matheson (UT)
All 23 members of the NY Congressional Delegation switched from Clinton:
Anthony Weiner, Brian Higgins, Carolyn Maloney, Carolyn McCarthy, Charles Rangel, Edolphus Towns, Eliot Engel, Gary Ackerman, Gregory Meeks, Jerrold Nadler, John Hall, Jose Serrano, Joseph Crowley, Kirsten Gillibrand, Louise Slaughter, Maurice Hinchey, Michael Arcuri, Michael McNulty, Nita Lowey, Nydia Velazquez, Steve Israel, Timothy Bishop, Yvette D. Clarke
Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH)
Rep. Betty Sutton (OH; switched from Clinton)
Superdelegates of 4 June (DNC switchers, Reps, Senators, Governors, DPLs):
Former VP Walter Mondale (MN; switched from Clinton to Obama)
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (MD)
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (NJ)
Gov. Phil Bredesen (TN)
Rep. Rahm Emanuel (IL)
Rep. Mike Doyle (PA)
Sen. Ken Salazar (CO)
Sen. Tom Harkin (IA)
Rep. Tom Udall (NM)
Sen. Ben Cardin (MD)
Sen. Herb Kohl (WI)
Sen. Ron Wyden (OR)
Rep. John Salazar (CO)
Rep. Mark Udall (CO)
Sen. Tom Carper (DE)
Sen. Mary Landrieu (LA)
Sen. Barbara Boxer (CA; switched from Clinton to Obama)
Rep. Michael Michaud (ME)
Rep. Susan Davis (CA)
DNC Claude "Buddy" Leach (LA; switched from Clinton to Obama)
Superdelegates of 3 June (DNC switchers, Reps, Senators, Governors, DPLs):
Former President Jimmy Carter (GA; was in Pelosi club)
DNC Ben Johnson (DC; switched from Clinton to Obama)
DNC Kamil Hasan (CA; switched from Clinton to Obama)
Rep. Maxine Waters (CA; switched from Clinton to Obama)
DNC Rhett Ruggerio (DE; switched from Clinton to Obama)
Rep. Dennis Moore (KS)
Rep. Bob Brady (PA)
Rep. William Jefferson (LA)
Rep. John Sarbarnes (MD)
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (AZ)
Christine Pelosi (CA; was in Pelosi Club)
DNC Rachel Binah (CA; switched from Clinton)
Rep. Sam Farr (CA)
Rep. Bob Filner (CA)
Rep. Jerry McNerney (CA)
Gov. Bill Ritter (CO)
DNC Michael Thurmond (GA; switched from Clinton)
DNC Patsy Arceneaux (LA; switched from Clinton)
Rep. Bart Stupak (MI)
Rep. Rush Holt (NJ; one of three physicists in Congress)
DNC Ian Murray (PA; switched from Clinton)
Rep. Ron Sims (WA; switched from Clinton)
Rep. Rick Stafford (MN; switched from Clinton)
Sen. Max Baucus (MT)
Sen. Jon Tester (MT)
Governor Brian Schweitzer (MT)
Rep. Alan Mollohan (of WV)
Rep. Dennis Cardoza (of CA;switched from Clinton to Obama)
"Barack Obama is a noble-hearted patriot and humble Christian, and he has my full faith and support"
Mayor Mufi Hannemann (of Honolulu HI)
Rep. Henry Waxman (of CA)
"I wanted to make sure that Senator Clinton had every opportunity to bring her campaign to the American people. It is now clear, however, that the Democratic Party is nearing a broad consensus on our nominee. And it is with great pride that I endorse Senator Barack Obama for President."
Rep. Howard Berman (of CA)
Rep. Jim McDermott (of WA)
Former Presidential Candidate John Edwards (of NC; full video)
William Donaldson (Former SEC Chair, appointed by George W. Bush)
Arthur Levitt (Former SEC Chair, appointed by Bill Clinton)
David Ruder (Former SEC Chair, appointed by Ronald Reagan)
College Democrat superdelegates Lauren Wolfe and Awais Khaleel
My avoidance of offering a formal endorsement until now has also been affected by the pull of old friendships and my reluctance as a teacher and commentator to be openly partisan. But my conscience won't let me be silent any longer...
His plans for reforming Social Security and health care have a better chance of succeeding. His approaches to the housing crisis and the failures of our financial markets are sounder than hers. His ideas for improving our public schools and confronting the problems of poverty and inequality are more coherent and compelling. He has put forward the more enlightened foreign policy and the more thoughtful plan for controlling global warming...
...he offers the best possibility of restoring America's moral authority in the world.
Former Sen. Sam Nunn(of GA; was head of Senate Armed Services Committee; three endorsements)
I believe Senator Obama has a rare ability to restore America's credibility and moral authority and to get others to join us in tackling serious global problems.
Former Sen. David Boren(of OK; was head of Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; three endorsements)
Former Rep. Lee Hamilton(of Indiana; cochair of the 9/11 Commission; story)
“I read his national security and foreign policy speeches, and he comes across to me as pragmatic, visionary and tough. He impresses me as a person who wants to use all the tools of presidential power.”
Doug Kmiec(Republican; Head of Office of Legal Council for Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush; Head the Romney for President Committee on the Courts and the Constitution; endorsement)
"Today I endorse Barack Obama for president of the United States...It is not arrived at without careful thought and some difficulty...I believe him to be a person of integrity, intelligence and genuine good will. I take him at his word that he wants to move the nation beyond its religious and racial divides and to return United States to that company of nations committed to human rights... I do have confidence that the Senator will cast his net widely in search of men and women of diverse, open-minded views and of superior intellectual qualities to assist him in the wide range of responsibilities that he must superintend."
Gov. Bill Richardson(of New Mexico; former presidential candidate, nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 5 times; story)
"I believe he is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime leader that can bring our nation together and restore America's moral leadership in the world. As a presidential candidate, I know full well Sen. Obama's unique moral ability to inspire the American people to confront our urgent challenges at home and abroad in a spirit of bipartisanship and reconciliation. There is no doubt in my mind that Barack Obama has the judgment and courage we need in a commander in chief when our nation's security is on the line."
[For a complete list of superdelegates, see this great site]
Pelosi Club Superdelegates (those who will vote for the winner of the pledged delegates) some of whom are listed above:
Former President Jimmy Carter (story;my post;officially endorsed)
“It would be undemocratic if the super-delegates blatantly went against the decision of Democratic voters across the nation.
"And I think that many super-delegates who have not yet declared their preference have the same feeling that I do, including the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. She’s said over and over that whoever gets the most [pledged] delegates by June 3rd ought to be the nominee.”
Senator Maria Cantwell (of WA; endorsed Clinton, but will vote for winner of pledged delegates; story; officially endorsed)
“If we have a candidate who has the most delegates and the most states,” the Democratic party should come together around that candidate, Cantwell said. The pledged delegate count will be the most important factor, she said, because that is the basis of the nominating process.
Former Governor Roy Romer (of Colorado; former co-chair of Bill Clinton's '96 campaign; story;officially endorsed)
Christine Pelosi (DNC member in CA; daughter of Nancy Pelosi; officially endorsed)
“If the votes of the super-delegates overturn what happened in the elections, it would be harmful to the Democratic Party,’’ she said.
What if one candidate has won the popular vote and the other claims the most delegates?
“It's a delegate race. In other words, one wins the Electoral College and one wins the popular vote -- guess who's president of the United States. The way the system works is that the delegates choose the nominee."
Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest.
He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next President. He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where "...nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone."
At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships. While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man's life and vision, so well described in his excellent book, Dreams from My Father, often in order to distract us from discussing the real issues: war and peace, the fight for economic and racial justice, reaffirming our Constitution, and the protection and enhancement of our environment.
Dan Rooney (owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers; story)
"There, you've had it, Indiana, north, south, east, west, middle. Black, white, Hispanic. Urban, rural. We cross all of these spectrum. And with those kinds of demographics that Indiana possesses, those are precisely the demographics that will make Barack Obama the next president of the United States." -- State Sen. Earline Rogers
Oregon Council of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME; story)
Newspapers (Primary and General Election--see also this list) (Republican leaning papers in red):
UK - The Economist for General Election: It's Time
"America should take a chance and make Barack Obama the next leader of the free world.
The Economist does not have a vote, but if it did, it would cast it for Mr Obama. We do so wholeheartedly.
Merely by becoming president, he would dispel many of the myths built up about America: it would be far harder for the spreaders of hate in the Islamic world to denounce the Great Satan if it were led by a black man whose middle name is Hussein; and far harder for autocrats around the world to claim that American democracy is a sham. America’s allies would rally to him."
"Gov. Palin has shown the country why she has been so successful in her young political career...
Yet despite her formidable gifts, few who have worked closely with the governor would argue she is truly ready to assume command of the most important, powerful nation on earth. To step in and juggle the demands of an economic meltdown, two deadly wars and a deteriorating climate crisis would stretch the governor beyond her range. Like picking Sen. McCain for president, putting her one 72-year-old heartbeat from the leadership of the free world is just too risky at this time."
AL - Birmingham News (primary only)
AL - Decatur Daily for General Election
AL - Florence Daily Times for General Election
AL - Montgomery Advertiser for General Election
AL - Tuscaloosa News (General Election)
AR - Benton County Daily Record for general election
"Mr. Obama's temperament is unlike anything we've seen on the national stage in many years. He is deliberate but not indecisive; eloquent but a master of substance and detail; preternaturally confident but eager to hear opposing points of view. He has inspired millions of voters of diverse ages and races, no small thing in our often divided and cynical country. We think he is the right man for a perilous moment."
"Many Americans say they're uneasy about Obama. He's pretty new to them.
We can provide some assurance. We have known Obama since he entered politics a dozen years ago. We have watched him, worked with him, argued with him as he rose from an effective state senator to an inspiring U.S. senator to the Democratic Party's nominee for president.
We have tremendous confidence in his intellectual rigor, his moral compass and his ability to make sound, thoughtful, careful decisions. He is ready...
It may have seemed audacious for Obama to start his campaign in Springfield, invoking Lincoln. We think, given the opportunity to hold this nation's most powerful office, he will prove it wasn't so audacious after 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."
"The tip of the scale for us came with McCain's choice of a vice presidential candidate. Few of us are convinced that Sarah Palin is ready to be the president of the United States, and as with any vice president, she would be only one heartbeat away if McCain is elected. Further, we question McCain's judgment in making such a choice...All of our previous endorsements have supported the Republican ticket. We, however, must break ranks and endorse Barack Obama for president."
"It will be an enormous challenge just to get the nation back to where it was before Mr. Bush, to begin to mend its image in the world and to restore its self-confidence and its self-respect. Doing all of that, and leading America forward, will require strength of will, character and intellect, sober judgment and a cool, steady hand.
Mr. Obama has those qualities in abundance...
We believe he has the will and the ability to forge the broad political consensus that is essential to finding solutions to this nation's problems."
"Meanwhile, the Republican Party is asking the American people to ignore their discontent with President George W. Bush and give the party another chance. But if a party can retain the presidency after failing in it — just by putting up somebody different — then accountability is undercut. Failure should exact a political price. If it doesn't, failure becomes harder to deter."
"We hope they support the brilliant, inspiring, eloquent frontrunner in the race, Barack Obama.
Sen. Obama is a rare figure in U.S. politics - a deep thinker who rises above partisan sniping and makes statecraft seem noble. He raises hope that, after the disastrous Bush years mercifully come to an end, Americans can again be proud of their national leader."
[Originally posted 2/4/08; FINAL UPDATE 11/4/08 11:30 AM]
