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CALIFORNIA SURGING FOR OBAMA / TIMES ENDORSES BARACK
For the first time since 1972 the LA Times has endorsed a Presidential candidate and that candidate is Barack Obama. The Times calls Obama "an inspiring leader who cuts through typical campaign bickering and appeals to Americans long weary of divisive and destructive politics." and concludes "Obama's candidacy offers the Democrats the best hope of leading America into the future, and gives Californians the opportunity to cast their most exciting and consequential ballot in a generation." : Allen L Roland
The Obama tide is rising fast and is sweeping all opposition away ahead of it. Americans are hungry for a change in direction or of politics as usual and Obama has caught that wave perfectly and the Clintons are not capable of stopping it ~ because they are increasingly being seen as part of the problem.
Nicholas von Hoffman, a New York Observer columnist, wrote last week: “The heart of the Clintons’ strategy is to pull Obama down to their level ... The Clintons cannot compete with the enthusiasm Obama sets off so they must destroy it. Their tactic is disillusionment. They are the quashers of the dream. Bring Obama’s people down by showing them he is just another politician like themselves.”
California, as usual, is leading this Obama surge and it is truly thrilling to observe what has happened in the last week .
Timeline to Victory
Saturday Night-Barack Obama wins South Carolina by a whopping 27 points.
Sunday-Caroline Kennedy endorses a presidential candidate for the first time since 1980, when her uncle ran.
Monday-Senator Ted Kennedy endorses Barack Obama.
Wednesday-John Edwards drops out of the race. In California we pick up the bulk of his elected supporters.
Thursday-Senator Obama visits Los Angeles and conducts a Town Hall Meeting in front of 1,500 supporters, then participates in the first one on one debate of the campaign. A debate in which he clearly and effectively articulated his position as an agent of change versus an agent of the status quo.
Now lets talk about yesterday.
9:00am- Service Employees International Union-representing over 650,000 workers in California, endorses Barack Obama.
9:45am- Senator Ted Kennedy appears at a raucous rally at East Los Angeles College with over 1,000 people in attendance.
10:30- MOVEON.org conducts an online vote. Over 70% of the respondents pick Barack Obama. MOVEON endorses Barack Obama.
1:00pm. The Los Angeles Times endorses a Presidential candidate for the first time since 1972. That candidate is Barack Obama. Please see their excerpts below.
The Los Angeles times editorial board "strongly endorsed" Obama, admitting there are two strong candidates but adding it's not difficult to choose between them.
It calls Obama "an inspiring leader who cuts through typical internecine campaign bickering and appeals to Americans long weary of divisive and destructive politics." It notes that Hillary Clinton is "an accomplished public servant" whose election would provide familiarity but that she failed a test of judgment and leadership by voting for the iraq war and then accusing President Bush of abusing the authority she helped give him.
Obama, the editorial says, "demonstrates as well that he is open-eyed about the terrorist threat posed to the nation, and would not shrink from military action where it is warranted. He does not oppose all wars, he has famously stated, but rather "dumb wars." He also has the edge in economic policy, less because of particular planks in his platform than in his understanding that some liberal orthodoxies developed over the last 40 years have been overtaken by history. He offers leadership on education, technology policy and environmental protection unfettered by positions taken by previous administrations."
The editorial concludes: "Obama's candidacy offers the Democrats the best hope of leading America into the future, and gives Californians the opportunity to cast their most exciting and consequential ballot in a generation."
Today, the largest Spanish-language newspaper in the U.S. endorsed Democrat Barack Obama ~ La Opinion, which is the second most-read newspaper in Los Angeles behind the Los Angeles Times, made the endorsement, posted on the newspaper's Web site today.
These are exciting times in California and the winds of change are being felt throughout the country ~ if not the world.
Allen L Roland http://blogs.salon.com/0002255/2008/02/02.html
Freelance Online columnist Allen L Roland is available for comments , interviews and speaking engagements ( allen@allenroland.com )
Allen L Roland is a practicing psychotherapist, author and lecturer who also shares a daily political and social commentary on his weblog and website allenroland.com He also guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on www.conscioustalk.net
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