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Friday, October 17, 2008

Holy Shit

posted by on October 17 at 13:55 PM

The Chicago Tribune, which has NEVER endorsed a Democrat for President, ever, going back to Abraham Fucking Lincoln, today endorsed Obama.

The end of the world as we know it, perhaps. But I do object to their claim that Obama is important because his election will cause

an end to the savagery and a return to civility in politics.

Can’t we be savage and civil at the same time?

RSS icon Comments

1

How many Illinois candidates have we had?

Posted by Mr Fuzzy | October 17, 2008 1:58 PM
2

Adlai Stevenson, twice. Trib went with Eisenhower.

Posted by Chicago Fan | October 17, 2008 2:01 PM
3

Nov.4. Obama wins! Spontaneous demonstrations of jubilation break out in the streets in cities all across America (and maybe the world.)

Posted by Vince | October 17, 2008 2:02 PM
4

Yay for the Tribune (and for common sense)!

@1. Here's a list.

I think it only considers truly viable candidates (though not sure how that's determined), because Carol Mosley Braun is not on there...

Posted by Julie in Chicago | October 17, 2008 2:02 PM
5

Abraham FUCKING Lincoln?

sheesh

Posted by Hartiepie | October 17, 2008 2:07 PM
6

Meanwhile, the RNC is unleashing waves of vile robocalls. I think they'll backfire just like everything else McCain has done, but still . . . scum!

Posted by LDP in Cincinnati | October 17, 2008 2:08 PM
7

That sound you hear is Col. McCormick spinning in his grave.

Posted by Big_K | October 17, 2008 2:10 PM
8

@3:

Meanwhile in small rural communities across the heartland, crowds will gather to burn effigies of the president-elect.

Posted by COMTE | October 17, 2008 2:11 PM
9

This is a mother-effing journalistic A-bomb to the GOP. I think the choice of Palin is what finally did it.

Anyway, thoughtful endorsement. If you know any undecideds (as if those really exist, but they might), make sure they read it.

Posted by Joe M | October 17, 2008 2:12 PM
10

The potentially damaging (to McCain) bits in this are the following:
1) A conservative institution has found Obama to be more rational (compare to their stance against Kerry and Gore)
2) They are the first (perhaps due to timing) to make a rational "it's okay, Republicans" endorsement
3) They have roots in the founding of the GOP
4) Their endorsement is the final vetting Obama needs, a conservative group from where he got his start saying he's okay.

Ducks in a row, etc.

Posted by AJ | October 17, 2008 2:14 PM
11

Nov. 4. Obama wins! Spontaneous baking of cookies breaks out in the streets in cities all across America (and maybe the world).

Posted by Cookie W. Monster | October 17, 2008 2:15 PM
12

@7: True. Hopefully his ghost will get its ass kicked down the halls of Cantigny by those of his former "help".

Posted by emma's bee | October 17, 2008 2:21 PM
13

And after he called the Tribune a *Reublican Newspaper* in the debate too! During the debate McCain sounded like a used-car salesman. When he was arguing for Palin's aptness for the presidency he sounded lika used-car salseman advocating somoene's candidacy for PTA chairperson.

Posted by kinaidos | October 17, 2008 2:25 PM
14


Big City newspapers pin their hopes, like Libs, on a Government that will structure society for dense urban living -- by taxing small business and giving the money to Light Rail and cubby hole condos with solar cells.

Suburbanites don't read local newspapers, the use news.google.com

Only Senator Government can be used to fight blogs and force people to read the PI.

Posted by John Bailo | October 17, 2008 2:31 PM
15
Posted by patknives | October 17, 2008 2:35 PM
16

Clearly it's because they palled around with terrorists together.

Posted by Trevor | October 17, 2008 2:39 PM
17

Thanks for the link. I just send it to my Tribune reading "undecided" brother.

Posted by Dot | October 17, 2008 2:44 PM
18

"Can’t we be savage and civil at the same time?"
Only Dan can.

Posted by E | October 17, 2008 2:48 PM
19

From the Trib's endorsement:

"We know first-hand that Obama seeks out and listens carefully and respectfully to people who disagree with him. He builds consensus. He was most effective in the Illinois legislature when he worked with Republicans on welfare, ethics and criminal justice reform.

"He worked to expand the number of charter schools in Illinois--not popular with some Democratic constituencies.

"He took up ethics reform in the U.S. Senate--not popular with Washington politicians.

"His economic policy team is peppered with advisers who support free trade. He has been called a "University of Chicago Democrat"--a reference to the famed free-market Chicago school of economics, which puts faith in markets."

You know what this makes Obama? A maverick! Holy fucking hell! The Dems have one too!

Posted by idaho | October 17, 2008 2:48 PM
20

But Lincoln was a Republican-granted back then the parties were polar opposites but technically he was Republican...Am I reading this wrong? Or is Abe just when the paper started. I bet thats it. Found my own answer. I should probably stop ty-.

Posted by Shane | October 17, 2008 2:51 PM
21

But the endorsement is convincing. What if McCain reads it? How's this for an October surprise? What if McCain dumps Palin for Olympia Snowe? What then???? Would a smart talented woman be willing to serve in Palin's place, if it meant that idiot McCain possibly winning over Obama?

Posted by idaho | October 17, 2008 2:53 PM
22

The Chicago Tribune is published in Chicago, home of the same university Bill Ayers teaches at. I think that makes the connection between Obama and al-Qaeda pretty obvious.

(/irony)

Posted by Jeff Stevens | October 17, 2008 2:55 PM
23

Bailo--

You've never read the Trib, have you?

Posted by Joe M | October 17, 2008 2:57 PM
24

Don't worry, Shane@20, I was going to make the same comment. Lincoln was a Republican, so did the Trib endorse him, or not?

Posted by AynSavoy | October 17, 2008 3:09 PM
25

@21. Imagine if he had picked Olympia Snowe back in August. Sigh. Not that I would have voted for him, but at least I would have respected that decision. Instead, I live in a world where being a total idiot is seen as a virtue.

Posted by Julie in Chicago | October 17, 2008 3:09 PM
26

@21- to expand on Julie's comment, yep, if he'd have picked her originally it would have looked like a deliberate, considered choice, and would have helped with the centrists, instead of pandering to the base.

If he does it now, it would just be the latest hail mary pass.

Posted by Joe M | October 17, 2008 3:21 PM
27

@14 -
I am from a traditionally very Republican suburb of Chicago - the same one that Hillary Clinton is from - and pretty much everyone I know there gets the Tribune. I was just arguing with some people about who the Tribune would endorse, meeting with adamant denials of even the possibility of Obama getting an endorsement.
But Illinois has been through some crazy shit with Obama. The Republicans turned their Senate race against him into a three-ring circus by allowing Alan Keyes to be imported, and McCain has made his campaign just as laughable with the choice of Sarah "I'm taking a Mulligan" Palin. However, in my mind, in both races Obama has acted with nothing but integrity.
Thank you, Tribune editors!
This endorsement has me shocked but ecstatic. Maybe it will convince my neighbor not to write in Hillary.

Posted by Tally | October 17, 2008 4:04 PM
28

@22
There will always be unreachable or low information voters.
Thanks for your interesting irony Jeffy!!

Posted by Mark in Colorado | October 17, 2008 5:13 PM

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