In '04 during the debates, I met two Brits in a bar who commented to me that Kerry looked more presidential -- "and we don't even use that word" -- and they felt Bush was like having Homer Simpson as president. I bet they'd have the same praise for Obama.

"But after Buchanan this nation needed a Lincoln -- after Taft we needed a Wilson -- after Hoover we needed Franklin Roosevelt -- And after eight years of drugged and fitful sleep, this nation needs strong, creative Democratic leadership in the White House." -- JFK's Democratic convention acceptance speech, 1960

For people my age - which is Clinton's age and Bush's age - I can't think of a more important endorsement than Caroline Kennedy's. It fully trumps the Times rank-and-file editorial endorsement of Hillary. There is no more important figure in the country to those of us who came of age with JFK and listened to the announcement of his death over the loud speaker in high school than Caroline Kennedy. His death left us unfulfilled and broken at about age 16 and I have always felt that sent us into a dark spiral which we have not ever come quite out of, especially here in the Boston region. But when I met Barack Obama up here with my kids just prior to the NH primary I felt exactly as Caroline says here; that here was a man who had the same sense of elan and world spirit as Jack Kennedy and could fulfill that broken destiny. Watching my kids enthusiasm for Obama I remembered feeling the same when I met JFK when I was a child. As far as the Clintons envisioning themselves as Sixties archetypes, Caroline Kennedy hits a deeper truer cord. Nothing goes deeper.  

make me less likely to support a candidate. That paper jumped the shark years ago. Few publications have allowed themselves to be coerced and manipulated by the Bush administration more than the Times.

on Barack Obama:

And then there's Sen. Barack Obama, the most exciting entrant in this year's field. He offers his early opposition to the Iraq war, which we and the other candidates supported, as evidence of prescience and good judgment. He also dangles a tantalizing vision of a nation shattering old barriers of race, party and interest group to work together in a new unity of purpose. This promise rests not on his platform, which is standard liberal Democratic fare, but on his person -- his eloquence, his inclusiveness, his ability to listen and to lead, and his own transcendence of old racial politics. For Americans sick of a government stymied on entitlement reform, climate change, immigration and so many other issues, it's an alluring vision.

on Hillary Clinton:

To date, Ms. Clinton has shown herself to be steely, disciplined and resilient. Unfortunately, that has been accompanied in recent weeks by a disturbing whiff of the win-at-any-price mentality that has characterized some of the Clintons' operations over the years. The growing public role of her husband, the former president, is unsettling. The tone of his comments about Mr. Obama has not befitted a former president or leader of his party; his insertion into the race raises legitimate questions about whether he would play an outsized or distracting role in a new Clinton White House.

Today in the New York Times, Frank Rich writes about "The Billary Road to Republican Victory."

IN the wake of George W. Bush, even a miracle might not be enough for the Republicans to hold on to the White House in 2008. But what about two miracles? The new year's twin resurrections of Bill Clinton and John McCain, should they not evaporate, at last give the G.O.P. a highly plausible route to victory.

I strongly recommend the entire column.

endorses Barack Obama:

Clinton, who arrived in the U.S. Senate four years before Obama, has tried to make experience the issue. As senator, she has proved skillful at representing diverse New York interests and working with Republicans. But if she wants to highlight her White House experience as a defining difference, then it's only fair to point out that two of the projects she was most deeply involved with produced a debacle (health care) and scandals (fund raising). Especially in recent days, her campaign has shown the sharp elbows that evoke the ugly underside of the Clinton years, and the (Karl Rove inspired) Bush years that succeeded them: the reflex to scorch the Earth, to do what is necessary to vanquish political adversaries ... all is justified if you are left standing at the end.

America deserves better than these cycles of vengeance and retribution. Its possibilities are too great, its challenges too daunting, for partisan pettiness.

In a Jan. 17 meeting with our editorial board, Obama demonstrated an impressive command of a wide variety of issues. He listened intently to the questions. He responded with substance. He did not control a format without a stopwatch on answers or constraints on follow-up questions, yet he flourished in it.

He radiated the sense of possibility that has attracted the votes of independents and tapped into the idealism of young people during this campaign. He exuded the aura of a 46-year-old leader who could once again persuade the best and the brightest to forestall or pause their grand professional goals to serve in his administration.

Of all the candidates who talk about change, Barack Obama has made the case most forcefully and most convincingly. He gets our endorsement for the Democratic nomination.

is the 2nd largest newspaper in the state of California (actually, on the entire West Coast), with a Sunday circulation of over 400,000.

Wow, what a weekend for Barack Obama!  Huge, crushing victory in SC...Caroline Kennedy passes the torch from her father to Barack...the San Francisco Chronicle endorsement...the Philadelphia Inquirer endorsement...and now The Seattle Times endorsement:

After seven years of George Bush's failed presidency, after five years of unnecessary war in Iraq, America is ready to write a new narrative. All candidates favor the now-bromidic slogan: change. Only one candidate truly embraces the yearnings this word represents.

The Seattle Times endorses Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for president. He has the grasp, temperament and skills to right our standing in the world. He has broad insight and specific ideas to assuage our own hardworking citizens' fears of an economy turning sour.

[...]

Obama speaks eloquently about media issues. His positions encourage a public worried about a consolidated media. He supports network neutrality and laments media consolidation. He co-sponsored a bill to stop recent changes to the cross-ownership rule adopted by the Federal Communications Commission. Obama says he would appoint FCC commissioners who will work in the public's interest and against media concentration.

Obama has the smarts, the plans and, yes, the charisma to capably lead and transform a nation that aches for a new direction.

Not only the speeches channels back Martin Luther King Jr's speeches, but the chant, "Yes we Can" can be translated into Spanish to  "Si se puede," which is strongly connected with Latinos with with the United Farmer Workers and Cesar Chavez.

Presenting Obama  as someone who can bring back memories of JFK, MLK, Cesar Chavez, is just brilliant.

I would argue that Obama is not just someone who can "bring back memories of JFK, MLK, Cesar Chavez," but can create new memories -- and bright new possibilities -- for our nation.  I am very excited about the potential that Barack Obama offers to America after the terrible, dark, lost years of George W. Bush.

Please note you must enable cookies to open that link.   You get a sign in screen if you don't, but the NYT no longer requires a sign in or subscription to access their site, just cookies.

Stephenopolis just asked Obama about a pending Ted Kennedy endorsement. Obama brushed it off stating he would let Ted Kennedy make any announcement of any endorsements but he has been actively seeking his endorsement.

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch comest yet ANOTHER endorsement for Barack Obama this morning!

Nine days from today, on Feb. 5, Missouri and Illinois voters will take part in the most wide-open presidential primary elections in memory on the biggest delegate selection day in history. They and the voters in 21 other states that will hold primaries and caucuses on "Super Tuesday" can help make 2008 a transformative year in American politics.

For that reason - the possibility of transformation - the editorial board of the Post-Dispatch strongly recommends that Democratic voters select Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois...

[...]

This year, voters have the chance to turn the page on 28 years of contentious, greed-driven politics and move into a new era of possibility. It would be an era in which government serves the public interest, not private interests, and public service again becomes a noble profession, not a means of personal enrichment. Americans once again could believe in something larger than themselves, be it Mr. Obama's inspiring message of hope...

Not that this is a big surprise, but the Chicago Tribune endorses Obama this morning.

Barack Obama is the rare individual who can sit in the U.S. Senate yet have his career potential unfulfilled. He is the Democrat best suited to lead this nation. We offer him our endorsement for the Feb. 5 Illinois primary.

[...]

Obama can help this nation move forward. A Tribune profile last May labeled his eight years in Springfield as "a study in complexity, caution and calculation. In the minority party for all but his final two years in the Statehouse, he tempered a progressive agenda with a cold dash of realism, often forging consensus with conservative Republicans when other liberals wanted to crusade."

Meanwhile, here's the Tribune on Hillary Clinton:

Obama's key opponent, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, unifies only her foes. Her penchant for gaming every issue -- recall her clumsy dodging when asked in a Philadelphia debate whether illegal immigrants should be licensed to drive -- feeds suspicion of maneuvering that would humble Machiavelli.

As this campaign has progressed, Hillary Clinton in moments of crisis hasn't been an ennobling sight. Her reliance on her husband, the less-than-presidential Bill, to trash-talk Obama reaffirms that the Clintons do whatever it takes to prevail. Depicting Obama's record on Iraq as a "fairy tale" is instructive: Think what you will of the war, but Sen. Clinton was an enabler when that was popular. In Kerryspeak, she was for the war before she was against the war.

Ouch!

And ANOTHER endorsement for Barack Obama, this time from the Arizona  Republic:

We believe Barack Obama has the best chance of moving Washington and the nation beyond the poisonous partisanship of recent decades. He appeals to independent voters and Republicans, in addition to members of his own party. His promise to unite is convincing.

[...]

Obama's call for Americans to believe in their power to change things is Kennedy-esque in its idealism. But it is also solidly rooted in an understanding of how badly the nation needs to remember its true strengths. He wants to provide tools, such as an accessible Internet database of lobbyist activities, to bring more openness to government and encourage public participation.

Obama represents a fresh, optimistic approach. His youthful voice calls for fundamental changes and a return to "an America that believes again." His oratory soars. While talk alone isn't enough, it has been a very long time since Americans had a leader who appealed to their better nature.

Democrats would do well to let Barack Obama carry their hopes into November.

Very nice.  And now, here's the Arizona Republican on Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton, though highly experienced, is very much a part of the current gridlocked system. She is a polarizing figure who would face instant opposition from those who continue to have a visceral reaction to Bill Clinton's administration.

To make matters worse, the combative stance the former president has taken during the campaign is more than just unseemly. It reaches beyond the primary, and will be answered growl for growl by Republicans in Congress if Hillary Clinton becomes president. Partisan politics will continue as usual.

Hillary Clinton is tough, and she might demonstrate the skills to overcome the opposition. But that will take time and energy, and prevent her from hitting the ground running, as she promises to do. In all likelihood, the lingering ill will from her husband's administration would cripple Clinton's presidency.

Ouch again; this refrain is becoming extremely familiar.