Another Endorsement for Obama

I missed this yesterday The Clarion Ledger, a Jackson Mississippi has endorsed Obama for president. This is a big change for The Clarion Ledger. It had, let's say, a color-skewed view of the Civil Rights Movement.

Since the 1970's, The Clarion-Ledger has been changing as has the whole State of Mississippi. So far, for 2008, there have been no reported cases of hate crimes in Mississippi. There are still KKK members, but most of those handful of sick and twisted people, are ignored. Mississippi has changed so very much from the 1960's. The Clarion-Ledger endorsement of Obama is just another step in the direction for change, hope, and progress. Some excerpts from the endorsement:

McCain has more experience than Obama in the Senate, more knowledge of foreign affairs and has military experience. But Obama, 47, offers the character and achievement of someone his age that is exemplary, including election to his state's legislature, election to the U.S. Senate, editor of the Harvard Law Review and professor of law at the University of Chicago. Few candidates for president have ever had his intellect and academic achievements.

But the American public doesn't always judge candidates on their paper accomplishments either - whether that's Andrew Jackson's roughhewn populism or Reagan's folksiness, or John F. Kennedy's charisma.

We gauge people not only by what they have done, but what we believe they will do, based on who they are and what they have achieved. Voters look for "it," an indefinable something that gives them hope, a thrill, a belief in America.

Obama offers that "something" - call it charm, charisma, a positive vision for the future, a voice for empowerment, a role model for youth - Obama has "it." That seems clear to the young and those who don't regularly engage in politics.

And he has "it," whatever "it" is, with a party machinery eager for change after eight years of corruption, division, war, greed and economic failure.

Martin Luther's I Have a Dream has come so very far when a state known for its evil and rank history of racism can say 40 years later: "We gauge people not only by what they have done, but what we believe they will do, based on who they are and what they have achieved".

I may be disappointed tomorrow morning but I do believe Obama has a chance to win in Mississippi tomorrow. I think the poll numbers are a lot closer than indicated. I may have to eat my words, but I believe the majority of Mississippians want change. Yesterday, WLOX, had coverage on McCain and Obama activities on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Obama supporters walked along the new Biloxi-Ocean Springs Bridge and were filled with enthusiasm.