The WashPost's endorsement of Obama: Hoping he doesn't really mean it

This post is a spinoff of the last one.

In the earlier post, I mentioned The Post's endorsement of Obama. As I said, The Post's editorial board believes, as I do, that Obama has been persistently wrong about Iraq, but they rationalize that away:

Mr. Obama's greatest deviation from current policy is also our biggest worry: his insistence on withdrawing U.S. combat troops from Iraq on a fixed timeline. Thanks to the surge that Mr. Obama opposed, it may be feasible to withdraw many troops during his first two years in office. But if it isn't -- and U.S. generals have warned that the hard-won gains of the past 18 months could be lost by a precipitous withdrawal -- we can only hope and assume that Mr. Obama would recognize the strategic importance of success in Iraq and adjust his plans.

As if that's not enough, in the very next passage they ALSO rationalize away his position on trade -- you know, the thing I was trying to get readers to take a fresh look at by mentioning the Colombian FTA in our endorsement:

We also can only hope that the alarming anti-trade rhetoric we have heard from Mr. Obama during the campaign would give way to the understanding of the benefits of trade reflected in his writings. A silver lining of the financial crisis may be the flexibility it gives Mr. Obama to override some of the interest groups and members of Congress in his own party who oppose open trade, as well as to pursue the entitlement reform that he surely understands is needed.

Here's the thing about that: I think Obama is an honest man. I hope he's just boxed himself into a rhetorical corner on Iraq, and I seize hopefully on his statements about other global hotspots as an indication that maybe Iraq is just an anomaly with him. But trade? Sorry, but I'm afraid I have greater faith in Sen. Obama's veracity than some of his supporters do. He really does believe some of the bad stuff he says -- for instance, about judicial selection.

Comments

[bud]

This is just too funny. Brad, wake up. You're missing the big picture. I mean really how thick are you? The Post clearly recognizes Obama's far superior ability to lead this nation through the tough times we're experiencing economically. And even though the Post is dead wrong about Iraq they fully expect Obama to be clear-headed about this. McCain has just been so eradic during the campaign (perhaps because of his advancing age) as evidenced by the Palin pick, the Post just could not endorse him. Isn't it obvious by now why? It's crystal clear to me.

[Lee Muller]

bud, what do you expect Obama to do that will benefit you?

Do you care about Obama's war on coal, automobiles, construction, and honest gun owners?

[Lee Muller]

Obama has the mentality of a Third World Marxist dictator.

He is not an honest man. He is a liar, running a steath campaign with the help of the media.

He has never had a real job, and has no idea of how wealth is created.

He sees himself as a victim, with the oppressors being "capitalists", "big business", "the rich", "whites", and "Jews". He sells that victimhood garbage to the same sort of losers who have been lapping it up from Jeremiah Wright, Louis Farakan, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.

[p.m.]

Eradic?

I don't think McCain's nearly as erratic as your spelling, bud.

But you are far funnier.

[Brad Warthen]

Some, such as Kathleen Parker, think McCain was influenced by Sarah Palin's eradic appeal. That's how you spell the word, isn't it?

[Lee Muller]

Kathleen Parker really flipped out in a jealous rage, didn't she? As Sarah Palin demonstrated that she knew a lot more about issues and could speak extemporaneously a lot better than Kathleen Parker and Peggy Noonan can write, they really got nasty.

She never said whom she would have preferred as VP. It is probably some dud like Christie Todd Whitman, who would have alienated 20,000,000 GOP voters enought to stay home.

The only reason McCain got back in this race is Sarah Palin connecting with real Americans.

[Joanne]

Sooo...if Palin doesn't connect with me, as she doesn't, am I not a REAL American, Lee?

Dang. I want my taxes back then.

[Randy E]

Boxed in? Yep, he doesn't want to spend $10B/month propping up a dysfunctional governmnet while we are in an economic crisis and our infrastructure deteriorates.

[Lee Muller]

Obama WANTS to destroy the US economy.

It is not just that he is inept and ignorant - he is a SOCIALIST.

* He and the Democrats already voted to raise taxes on everyone, with their repeal of the Bush Tax Relief which pulled us out of the Clinton Recession.

* He wants to bankrupt coal plants

* He wants to take over the automobile companies and dictate what they can sell

* Obama and the Democrats already created the credit crisis with their crooked reparations scheme to see houses to blacks who had no incomes and bad credit. They sold 5,000,000 mortgages to illegal Mexicans.

[p.m.]

Eradic.
Erratic.
Erotic.
Errata.

[p.m.]

On the shores of Santee,
Not too far from Manning,
I saw Sarah sunbathing;
Yes, I saw Palin tanning.
Some said she was warming to the task,
But I was happy just to watch her bask.