The Washington Post Endorses Barack Obama

I just got done with my last lecture on Martin Luther today and a colleague of mine told me to read about the endorsement of Obama by The Washington Post. I have to say that the editorial is pretty close to my thoughts on the choice for President in 2008.

There are two quotes that stand out for me.

On the economy:

“Mr. McCain has little interest in economics and no apparent feel for the topic. His principal proposal, doubling down on the Bush tax cuts, would exacerbate the fiscal wreckage and the inequality simultaneously. Mr. Obama’s economic plan contains its share of unaffordable promises, but it pushes more in the direction of fairness and fiscal health. Both men have pledged to tackle climate change.”

Both men are taken to task here. McCain for his level of distance from the economic crisis and Obama for promising the moon and the stars – with no real way of paying for his promises.

On Health Care Reform:

Mr. McCain is right to advocate an end to the tax favoritism showed to employer plans. This system works against lower-income people, and Mr. Obama has disparaged the McCain proposal in deceptive ways. But Mr. McCain’s health plan doesn’t do enough to protect those who cannot afford health insurance. Mr. Obama hopes to steer the country toward universal coverage by charting a course between government mandates and individual choice, though we question whether his plan is affordable or does enough to contain costs.

Again, a fair and reasonable representation of the health care proposals of both candidates. The comment draws attention to the affordability of Obama’s plan and giving McCain’s proposal a fair review of its positive and negative points.

The endorsement was what I expected from the Washington Post. My hope is that it will be read by more than by the “inside the Beltway crowd.”