Washington Post Endorsement: Four More Years for President Obama

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Today the Washington Post made their choice: Washington Post Endorsement: Four More Years for President Obama.

MUCH OF THE 2012 presidential campaign has dwelt on the past, but the key questions are who could better lead the country during the next four years — and, most urgently, who is likelier to put the government on a sounder financial footing.

That second question will come rushing at the winner as soon as the votes are tallied. Absent any action, a series of tax hikes and spending cuts will take effect Jan. 1 that might well knock the country back into recession. This will be a moment of peril but also of opportunity. How the president-elect navigates it will go a long way toward determining the success of his presidency and the health of the nation.

President Barack Obama is better positioned to be that navigator than is his Republican challenger, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.

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58 comments
1 Targetpractice  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 10:42:54am

In a related story, while Romney (unsurprisingly) won the endorsement of The Detroit News, even they had to acknowledge the elephant in the room:

Don't assume that it was a no-brainer for a conservative newspaper to endorse a conservative presidential candidate. We recognize and are grateful for the extraordinary contribution President Obama made to Michigan in leading the rescue of General Motors and Chrysler…

We have said in past editorials that while Romney rightly advocated for structured bankruptcies in his infamous "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt" New York Times op-ed, he was wrong in suggesting the automakers could have found operating capital in the private markets. In that article, Romney suggested government-backed loans to keep the companies afloat post bankruptcy. But what GM and Chrysler needed were bridge loans to get them through the process, and the private credit markets were unwilling to provide them...

Had Obama done as well with the rest of the economy, it would be hard to deny him a second term.

2 erik_t  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 10:44:45am

Meh. Let me know when the real DC paper, the Washington Times, follows suit.

/

3 HappyWarrior  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 10:45:42am

re: #2 erik_t

Meh. Let me know when the real DC paper, the Washington Times, follows suit.

/

Haha, this is funny because the local wingnuts I know treat the WaPo as if it's the Daily Worker. Anyhow, this is no real surprise. I can't think of a time in my lifetime when the WaPo hasn't endorsed the Democrat for president.

4 Sophist, Gingham Style  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 10:53:34am

President Barack Obama is better positioned to be that navigator than is his Republican challenger, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.

That was an incredibly tactful way to say that Romney has no plan to prevent the country from burning to the ground.

5 allegro  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 10:55:03am

re: #4 Sophist, Gingham Style

President Barack Obama is better positioned to be that navigator than is his Republican challenger, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.

That was an incredibly tactful way to say that Romney has no plan to prevent the country from burning to the ground.

His party is standing there with a Bic to ignite it.

6 SpaceJesus  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 10:57:07am

Obama up in Iowa, Wisconsin

[Link: www.publicpolicypolling.com...]

7 erik_t  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 10:58:05am

re: #6 SpaceJesus

Obama up in Iowa, Wisconsin

[Link: www.publicpolicypolling.com...]

Bill Clinton's fault, surely.

8 BongCrodny  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 10:58:31am

re: #3 HappyWarrior

Haha, this is funny because the local wingnuts I know treat the WaPo as if it's the Daily Worker. Anyhow, this is no real surprise. I can't think of a time in my lifetime when the WaPo hasn't endorsed the Democrat for president.

Ha! When I was living in NoVa, a neocon buddy of mine used to call it "Pravda on the Potomac."

I remember e-mailing him a list of the Post's columnists -- there are still a few unrepentant lefties on the masthead, but any paper that features Anne Applebaum, Charles Krauthammer, Kathleen Parker, George F. Will, Michael Gerson and (at the time) William Safire could hardly be considered "left."

9 Gretchen G.Tiger  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 10:58:46am
10 Targetpractice  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 10:59:42am

re: #6 SpaceJesus

Obama up in Iowa, Wisconsin

[Link: www.publicpolicypolling.com...]

I still think it's gonna be a squeaker, but I'm feeling a bit more comfortable with the idea that he will win both the EV and PV. Not that it won't stop the wingnuts from first screaming "Voter Fraud!," and then declaring for the next four years that he has no "mandate" and they can choose to ignore him because he didn't win by the sort of margins that no modern president has achieved since Reagan.

11 SpaceJesus  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:01:13am

re: #10 Targetpractice

There is literally no situation wherein Obama wins the election and wingers don't lose their shit.

12 HappyWarrior  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:01:37am

re: #8 BongCrodny

Ha! When I was living in NoVa, a neocon buddy of mine used to call it "Pravda on the Potomac."

I remember e-mailing him a list of the Post's columnists -- there are still a few unrepentant lefties on the masthead, but any paper that features Anne Applebaum, Charles Krauthammer, Kathleen Parker, George F. Will, Michael Gerson and (at the time) William Safire could hardly be considered "left."

Had Novak when he was still alive too.

13 Targetpractice  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:02:37am

re: #11 SpaceJesus

There is literally no situation wherein Obama wins the election and wingers don't lose their shit.

True, which is why I'm also looking at the Congressional races as well. If the Dems hold their current majority and possibly make gains in the House, then next year is gonna be...interesting.

14 Ghost of Tom Joad  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:03:54am

re: #10 Targetpractice

I still think it's gonna be a squeaker, but I'm feeling a bit more comfortable with the idea that he will win both the EV and PV. Not that it won't stop the wingnuts from first screaming "Voter Fraud!," and then declaring for the next four years that he has no "mandate" and they can choose to ignore him because he didn't win by the sort of margins that no modern president has achieved since Reagan.

EV and PV counts don't matter, because he's still ineligible to be President, that damn Kenyan!///

15 GunstarGreen  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:04:12am

re: #11 SpaceJesus

There is literally no situation wherein Obama wins the election and wingers don't lose their shit.

Pretty much. They've been shitting their pants and refusing to recognize his legitimacy since November 7th 2008, and he won that election by a pretty hefty margin. BPWB is a high crime as far as the American Right is concerned.

16 Ghost of Tom Joad  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:07:29am

re: #15 GunstarGreen

Pretty much. They've been shitting their pants and refusing to recognize his legitimacy since November 7th 2008, and he won that election by a pretty hefty margin. BPWB is a high crime as far as the American Right is concerned.

17 nines09  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:07:45am

"President Barack Obama is better positioned to be that navigator than is his Republican challenger, (the) former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney."
There I fixed it.

18 AK-47%  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:08:31am

re: #11 SpaceJesus

There is literally no situation wherein Obama wins the election and wingers don't lose their shit.

Barring a major landslide, which does not look likely, there will be shouts and murmurs of voter fraud and manipulation. And if Obama manages to win the EC without carrying the popular vote it will start to look like 1860 all over again...those f*ckers will not shut up for four years.

19 HappyWarrior  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:09:40am

2014 midterms are going to be interesting either way.

20 Daniel Ballard  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:09:44am

re: #11 SpaceJesus

Reminds me of Bush getting re elected. The howls that ensued were kinda hilarious. "Moving to Canada" etc etc. Not going MBF, more to how the critics get all delusional. People need to calm down. The harshest critics are always wrong.

21 SpaceJesus  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:10:09am

re: #18 AK-47%

Hey, maybe then we can make some headway into doing away with the EC

22 AK-47%  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:11:00am

re: #21 SpaceJesus

Hey, maybe then we can make some headway into doing away with the EC

I am for retaining it and having it kick in only if no candidate wins a majority of the votes cast.

23 SpaceJesus  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:13:21am

"Our new North Carolina poll finds Barack Obama and Mitt Romney tied, with Obama leading 57/42 among early voters. Results coming up."

PPP

24 Bulworth  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:13:50am
Meh. Let me know when the real DC paper, the Washington Times, follows suit.

/

The Washington Times Free Edition*, otherwise known as The Examiner, has, shockingly, endorsed Romney. Real cliffhanger there, with the Examiner.

*I guess there are about 63 people in the DC area who still pay hard earned cash for the Wash Times, but it seems like the conservative intellegencia just decided they'd have better luck getting their message out if they just distributed their crappy paper for free and called it something else.

25 researchok  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:13:59am

My biggest issue with Obama is healthcare reform.

While I'm strongly in favor of the idea of a national healthcare program my concern is in both the implementation and cost.

I believe the program needs to be phased in (prenatal to 12 yrs and 65 yrs and up. These are where the majority of health care dollars are spent) over time so the inevitable problems and unforeseen issues can be dealt with.

As for the economy, Obama has done as well as might be expected. He's had a few misses and missteps and he's had some successes. What else can be expected?

Notwithstanding all the hype, Romney is good guy who just isn't up to the job- and here's why.

For all his talk of bipartisanship in Mass (and he was reasonably successful) that only came out now. If he were indeed a leader he would have bucked his party's obstructionist stance. Instead he stayed quiet on the matter.

That isn't leadership.

As for the rest, that's all politics- all candidates play to their base and then go centrist. It's the way it's done.

Romney's biggest flaw is leadership by consensus- while that may work in business it just won't do for the office of the presidency.

26 Page 3 in the Binder of Women  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:14:22am

re: #9 Gretchen G.Tiger

My first Pages Post published under my full name.

Nice page & you've got a badassed name.

27 Daniel Ballard  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:14:41am

re: #18 AK-47%

Wasn't Bush referred to by the left wing critics as the non elected President for his whole term?

28 Bulworth  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:15:00am
Nice page & you've got a badassed name.

A most excellent name for yours as well.

29 Sionainn  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:15:16am

re: #27 Daniel Ballard

Wasn't Bush referred to by the left wing critics as the non elected President for his whole term?

Only by far left, ridiculous people.

30 efuseakay  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:16:17am

re: #18 AK-47%

Barring a major landslide, which does not look likely, there will be shouts and murmurs of voter fraud and manipulation. And if Obama manages to win the EC without carrying the popular vote it will start to look like 1860 all over again...those f*ckers will not shut up for four years.

Let them whine while the President continues to work. :)

31 AK-47%  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:16:59am

re: #27 Daniel Ballard

Wasn't Bush referred to by the left wing critics as the non elected President for his whole term?

People made jokes about it, but I heard of few people refusing to recognize his authority. We have already seen that with Obama and will see a lot more of it if he wins without the PV.

32 Charles Johnson  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:18:20am

New LGF Pages getting closer to launch -- you'll like this. Much more responsive than the old design.

33 Daniel Ballard  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:18:21am

re: #31 AK-47%

The harshest critics will not be silenced at all. Not short of a Nixon McGovern scenario anyway. It's more about who might bother to pay attention or not IMHO.

34 AK-47%  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:18:34am

I am also concerned we wil see a lot more "sovereign citizens", militias and the like out to provoke the government into responding to their threats or actual acts of violence. All of which will then be held up as proof that they are about to disarm us all and round us up into the FEMA camps.

35 SpaceJesus  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:19:19am

re: #34 AK-47%

Prepare for the golden age of Alex Jones

36 HappyWarrior  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:20:30am

Well I'll tell you who will be happy if Obama wins and that's the right wing talk show hosts. You get a lot more listeners bitching about how Obama is destroying this country than if you're just tepidly defending Mitt Romney.

37 Decatur Deb  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:20:53am

re: #29 Sionainn

Only by far left, ridiculous people.

(*sniff*)

38 Targetpractice  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:20:58am

re: #33 Daniel Ballard

The harshest critics will not be silenced at all. Not short of a Nixon McGovern scenario anyway. It's more about who might bother to pay attention or not IMHO.

And in such a scenario, they'll declare that the only way that's possible is if he stole votes and that it's "proof" that voting is rigged.

39 erik_t  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:22:10am

re: #31 AK-47%

People made jokes about it, but I heard of few people refusing to recognize his authority. We have already seen that with Obama and will see a lot more of it if he wins without the PV.

That's the key difference. Everyone was butthurt, but nobody was looking to tear the nation in two over it.

40 Sophist, Gingham Style  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:22:26am

re: #35 SpaceJesus

I bet Rush is secretly happy Obama's winning too. It's a lot easier to work your audience up into an irrational (and profitable) froth with that Ni-CLANG! in the White House.

41 researchok  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:22:27am

re: #31 AK-47%

Stupid is a blind, non partisan canyon

42 AK-47%  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:22:32am
43 researchok  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:23:16am

re: #37 Decatur Deb

LOLOL

44 JamesWI  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:23:29am

re: #1 Targetpractice

In a related story, while Romney (unsurprisingly) won the endorsement of The Detroit News, even they had to acknowledge the elephant in the room:

So, even a newspaper endorsing Romney is better at fact checking him than Politifact.

45 HappyWarrior  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:23:31am

re: #40 Sophist, Gingham Style

I bet Rush is secretly happy Obama's winning too. It's a lot easier to work your audience up into an irrational (and profitable) froth with that Ni-CLANG! in the White House.

Of course. It's worth pointing out that Rush got famous during the Clinton years. I doubt he gets any real fame if H.W Bush is re-elected and then succeeded by a fellow Republican.

46 Sophist, Gingham Style  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:23:36am

re: #42 AK-47%

Speaking of Rapeublicans: Prove you were raped or your bastard child will starve!

What war on women?

47 HappyWarrior  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:24:07am

re: #42 AK-47%

Speaking of Rapeublicans: Prove you were raped or your bastard child will starve!

I saw that yesterday. Really fucked up.

48 Daniel Ballard  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:25:32am

re: #38 Targetpractice

Personally I will find it just as easy this time to ignore these fools as it was in 2000 and on. I learned this after watching some video of a recount clerk looking at a dimpled chad and hearing narration about how it was up to him to decide voter intent. Gah. Flipping a coin would have been at least as accurate.

49 wrenchwench  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:26:14am
50 Sophist, Gingham Style  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:26:44am

re: #45 HappyWarrior

Of course. It's worth pointing out that Rush got famous during the Clinton years. I doubt he gets any real fame if H.W Bush is re-elected and then succeeded by a fellow Republican.

Prezactly. It's hard to tap into revanchist sentiment when there's nothing to get revanche for.

51 dragonfire1981  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:27:35am

re: #36 HappyWarrior

Well I'll tell you who will be happy if Obama wins and that's the right wing talk show hosts. You get a lot more listeners bitching about how Obama is destroying this country than if you're just tepidly defending Mitt Romney.

They wouldn't be tepidly defending Mitt Romney. They'd still be blaming Obama. I can guarantee you that any problems Romney has during a potential presidency would be explained by saying: "Obama left a bigger mess to clean up than initially thought, that's why Romney had to do X or hasn't done Y yet."

52 AK-47%  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:27:46am

To paraphrase Ted Turner, an electoral disaster this year could turn out to be a terr..good thing in the sense that we might finally put some serious thought into election reform, starting with ID laws, registration and vote tallying.

53 GunstarGreen  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:28:05am

re: #42 AK-47%

Speaking of Rapeublicans: Prove you were raped or your bastard child will starve!

We're pro-life, right up until they're out of the womb. After that? Fuck 'em.

54 HappyWarrior  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:30:41am

re: #51 dragonfire1981

They wouldn't be tepidly defending Mitt Romney. They'd still be blaming Obama. I can guarantee you that any problems Romney has during a potential presidency would be explained by saying: "Obama left a bigger mess to clean up than initially thought, that's why Romney had to do X or hasn't done Y yet."

True that.

55 efuseakay  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:31:51am

re: #53 GunstarGreen

Pro-life and pro death-penalty.

56 Joanne  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:37:41am

re: #9 Gretchen G.Tiger

My first Pages Post published under my full name.

Outstanding!

57 Joanne  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 11:41:37am

re: #10 Targetpractice

If Obama won 70% of the PV and the entire EC, wingers would say the same thing. And they would for any Dem because all Dems are not valid, worthy or able. A half black one is just chocolate frosting on their hate of Dems cake.

58 Patricia Kayden  Thu, Oct 25, 2012 3:07:20pm

#42 AK-47%

Love the fetus. Let the baby starve to death. But they're supposedly "pro-life". Right!


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