Over the last few weeks, Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama has pulled further ahead in the national polls. Besides the popular support though, Obama is also getting a big boost from editorial endorsements from newspapers around the nation.
Local papers like the Toledo Blade have referred to Senator Obama as, “the best equipped by temperament and intellect to firmly grasp the reins of government and guide us safely through these uncertain times.” The Toledo daily is just one of hundreds of newspaper editorial boards around the country that have recently endorsed Obama ahead of the November 4th presidential election.
Other local papers, such as the St. Louis Post dispatch and the Dayton Ohio daily news have given the Illinois Senator glowing endorsements, encouraging their readers to vote for Senator Obama, while pointing out that Senator McCain’s campaign has been “disappointing.”
Major daily papers in Pittsburgh and Madison, Wisconsin have also backed Obama. It seems that one of the strongest reasons for the plethora of Obama endorsements lies in John McCain’s choice of running mate. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch referred to vice presidential candidate Governor Sarah Palin and as “the least qualified running mate since the Swedenborgian shipbuilder Arthur Sewell ran as William Jennings Bryan’s number two in 1896.”
Other editorial boards called Governor Palin’s record “shockingly lacking in presidential qualifications.” So it would seem that, despite the popular support Palin has received from the conservative and evangelical bases within the Republican Party, overall, it is likely Palin has cost McCain both credibility and support among independent voters.
Of course, all this is bad news for Senator McCain, who is relying on the independent and swing voters to make up for his lack-luster showing in recent polls. Many of the latest national polls show Senator Obama with a 9 to 11 point lead over McCain. And surveys indicate that the current economic crisis is tilting the odds more favorably in the Illinois senator’s favor, with most undecided voters perceiving Obama as the best candidate to handle the nation’s troubled economy.
So what does John McCain have to do to close the gap? Frankly, many political pundits are beginning to wonder aloud if he can. With the Republican Party in tatters, a troublesome economy and an erratic campaigning style that seems ill-fitted to the times, it appears that the McCain campaign is in real trouble; and short of some type of major event to tilt the odds back in his favor, the country may be looking at a sweeping Obama victory on November 4.
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