Portsmouth Herald Endorses Obama

Obama shows he's best of Democratic field
December 21, 2007 6:00 AM

All elections are unique, but not all of them are historically significant. We believe that the election of 2008 will prove to be one of the most important since Franklin Roosevelt brought this country a New Deal in 1932.

The Portsmouth Herald is endorsing Sen. Barack Obama as the Democratic choice in the New Hampshire Primary because we believe he has a unique character and far-reaching vision to lead this country as it faces war abroad and economic instability at home. He is the 21st century candidate the country needs.

More than any of the other Democrats in the race, we believe Obama has made the most compelling and persuasive case for his candidacy. He has talked throughout this campaign about the "urgency of the now" but has shown patience to develop both his campaign and his proposals.

It has been our privilege to host candidate forums and see candidates react spontaneously to Seacoast residents, as well as to prepared questions. We see in Obama an exceptional intellect, strength of character and raw talent. He has the best intuitive grasp of the electorate we have encountered.

His purpose is simple: He is dedicated to government that is "competent and meets the needs of people—" all people. He knows he cannot achieve his purpose without an extraordinary team, one that is "short on drama and long on substance." To date, he has surrounded himself with just such teams, and it shows in his current surprising success, as well as past legislation.

He has tapped into the hunger for change among the electorate, but has made no promises that he can't keep. He has framed the problems in the country not by blaming one person such as President Bush, but by calling for collective responsibility from Republican and Democratic politicians and voters alike. He has framed the solutions in the same manner to allow the country to move forward. We have been impressed by his campaign's tone of pragmatic hope and partisan reconciliation.

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All presidential choices come with risk. "Do you match up with the times?" Obama has said about an intangible ingredient necessary for the next president. We believe that Obama is like another candidate, a lightly experienced man from Illinois who burst upon the national scene in the midst of the country's greatest crisis in 1860. Abraham Lincoln matched up with his times. We believe the same of Barack Obama, and encourage voters to support him in the Democratic primary on Jan. 8.

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