Seattle Times Endorses Obama

The Seattle Times has endorsed Barack Obama. In this excerpt from the endorsement they address the question of experience versus judgment. I certainly agree in choosing someone whose judgment has proven to be correct over a candidate such as Clinton who might have more experience (if you include her years as First Lady) but who has shown poor judgment on the war as well as other issues:

Critics ask a fair question about Obama’s experience. He has been a U. S. senator for three years, Illinois state senator for eight, lawyer, lecturer, community organizer — a résumé some say is not executive enough for a president.

American voters tend to select governors rather than senators for president, President Bush being a recent example. Bush fit the mold — governor of Texas six years — but his résumé proved to be a failed indicator.

Judgment is more important. Bush’s decision to invade Iraq was the most-wrongheaded decision of our time.

Voters this time have reason to focus on other qualities, such as the courage to tell people things they might not want to hear. Obama, for example, took his pitch for higher fuel-efficiency standards to the most-challenging audience, Detroit.

And in October 2002, when our country was horribly bruised by Sept. 11, he came out against the war in Iraq: “I don’t oppose all wars. … What I am opposed to is a dumb war. … What I am opposed to is a rash war.”

Such statements might sound unpatriotic — unless, of course, the speaker turns out to be correct. In an Obama administration, American troops have a chance to start coming home.

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