It’s been a busy 12 hours on the presidential candidate endorsement front, so let’s take a quick review of which candidates have lined up what support.
Barack Obama has been faring well among California’s newspaper editorial boards, winning the endorsements of practically all of the state’s largest newspapers, including the Oakland Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Jose Mercury, the Sacramento Bee, the Modesto Bee, the Santa Cruz Sentinel, and San Francisco Bay Guardian. Today, however, Obama picked up the biggest of them all, receiving the LA Times’ endorsement. (The LAT decided to make its first endorsements since 1972.)
Democrats preparing to vote in Tuesday’s California primary can mark their ballots with confidence, knowing that either candidate would make a strong nominee and, if elected, a groundbreaking leader and capable president. But just because the ballot features two strong candidates does not mean that it is difficult to choose between them. We urge voters to make the most of this historic moment by choosing the Democrat most focused on steering the nation toward constructive change: We strongly endorse Barack Obama. […]
In the language of metaphor, Clinton is an essay, solid and reasoned; Obama is a poem, lyric and filled with possibility. Clinton would be a valuable and competent executive, but Obama matches her in substance and adds something that the nation has been missing far too long — a sense of aspiration.
On the other side of the aisle, the LAT backed John McCain.
At a different moment in American history, we would hesitate to support a candidate for president whose social views so substantially departed from those we hold. But in this election, nothing less than America’s standing in the world turns on the outcome. Given that, our choice for the Republican nominee in 2008 is sure and heartfelt. It is John McCain.
McCain opposes abortion and rejects the right of gays and lesbians to marry — two positions we reject. He supports the war in Iraq, whereas we see this nation’s interests better served by a prompt and orderly withdrawal of U.S. forces. But the Arizona senator’s conservatism is, if not always to our liking, at least genuine. It reflects his fundamental individualism, spanning his distrust of big government, his support for immigration reform and his insistence on a sound American foreign policy.
Of course, the LAT was hardly the only endorsement of note.
California’s SEIU is making the switch from Edwards to Obama.
The Service Employees International Union made its decision two days after its first choice, John Edwards, dropped out of the race.
“Obama’s pledge to ensure working families have a strong voice, that health care is not a luxury and that our children are given the tools to succeed best represents the values that our members care about,” said Annelle Grajeda, president of the SEIU California State Council.
The 650,000-member union’s backing could help Obama cut into Hillary Rodham Clinton’s lead in the polls among Democratic base voters, many of whom are union members.
Gay Republicans are making the switch from Giuliani to McCain.
Gay Republicans are in a state of mourning over Mayor Giuliani’s exit from the presidential race, but they are moving swiftly into Senator McCain’s fold despite concerns that he has not always been faithful to their agenda.
Bill Richardson won’t endorse until after Feb. 5, but he certainly seems to be moving towards Clinton.
CNN has learned that New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will watch the Super Bowl this Sunday with former President Bill Clinton in Red River, New Mexico.
Despite the obvious implications for the much sought after endorsement of Richardson, a Hispanic who holds sway in the community, a top Democratic source describes this as “two old friends getting together, and not to be “construed as a coming endorsement.”
Nonetheless, Richardson is not unaware of the power of that picture. The former president has been phoning Richardson “with regularity” since he dropped out of the Democratic presidential race.
In Connecticut, a closely-watched Feb. 5 state, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D) will announce her support for Obama today.
DeLauro will be the third House member from Connecticut in recent days to throw support behind Obama. Reps. John Larson and Christopher Murphy also announced endorsements this week, providing a boost to the Illinois Democrat in one of the 22 states to cast ballots on the February 5th super primary.
DeLauro is also a superdelegate to the 2008 Democratic convention; she had backed Sen. Chris Dodd — for whom she had once served as chief of staff — before he ended his presidential bid.
John Edwards is staying on the sideline — for now.
Sources close to John Edwards tell CNN not to expect him to endorse either of his former presidential rivals before Super Tuesday. “That’s just not something he’s going to do,” said one source.
And one of Obama’s highest-profile endorsers is headed back to the campaign trail.
On Sunday, Oprah Winfrey is returning to the presidential campaign trail to headline a California event for Senator Barack Obama. The Obama campaign has yet to announce details, but people familiar with the event say the television talk show magnate will join Michelle Obama at a campaign rally in the Los Angeles area.
Never a dull moment.