The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, two of the most influential US newspapers, backed Barack Obama on Friday to become the next US president, praising his leadership abilities despite his relative inexperience.
Obama also picked up hometown support from the Chicago Tribune — marking the first time since its founding in 1847 that it has come out for a Democratic candidate.
Their editorials took to 51 the number of US newspapers endorsing Obama so far in the Nov. 4 election, against 16 for McCain, according to a tally by the Editor and Publisher trade journal.
The Washington Post said its thumbs up was “without ambivalence,” and praised Obama’s intelligence and political skill while blasting Republican rival John McCain, 72, and his running mate Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, 44.
“The choice is made easy in part by Mr McCain’s disappointing campaign, above all his irresponsible selection of a running mate who is not ready to be president,” it said.
It described the 47-year-old Illinois senator as “a man of supple intelligence, with a nuanced grasp of complex issues and evident skill at conciliation and consensus-building.”
The Los Angeles Times also backed Obama in an editorial posted on its Web site on Friday, saying the Democratic nominee answered a need for “a leader who demonstrates thoughtful calm and grace under pressure.”
“The Times without hesitation endorses Barack Obama for president,” it wrote, saying that Obama had impressed with his “steadiness and maturity.”
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