The Des Moines Register...for Obama Posted by Moira Whelan

An interesting piece today by Rekha Basu in the Des Moines Register talking about why she likes Obama. It demonstrates to me that even when these newspaper endorsements go out, those of us watching from outside the beltway should be careful to take that as a wholesale endorsement of the whole state.

Basu directly addresses the "experience" question that seemed to be the deciding factor for the editors of the Register.

UPDATE:

I've gotten three emails from other real Iowan's telling me to read this post by soothsayer David Yepsen. Obama gave another speech yesterday in Iowa, and this one seems to be having a bit of a ripple effect...and it's on foreign policy! Obama took the stage with former Clinton Administration officials Tony Lake and Susan Rice. Folks in the room said they thought Obama struck the perfect note between the "experience" and "judgement" questions--and got them abuzzing enough to send out an email to that effect, so it must be a bit different than what they usually hear from candidates.

Yepsen has some excerpts/comments about the speech:

“When I’m the Democratic nominee, I will offer a clear choice,” he said. “My opponent won’t be able to say that I ever supported the war in Iraq, or that I don’t support a clear timetable to bring our troops home. He won’t be able to say that I voted to use our troops in Iraq to counter Iran, or that I support the Bush-Cheney diplomacy of not talking to leaders we don’t like. And he won’t be able to say that I wavered on something as fundamental as whether or not it is ok for America to torture –because it is never ok.”

Obama added:  “This isn’t about drawing contrasts – it’s about a change in our foreign policy that you can believe in. So when you consider who to caucus for, I ask you to consider my judgment and vision for new American leadership.”

It must be working.  Obama’s narrow lead widened to 9 points in the last poll taken in Iowa, a fact that has both Clinton and Edwards feeling a little jittery.

Now, I'm not suggesting that all smart people in Iowa support Obama, but I am suggesting that the smart people I know in Iowa were pretty impressed with this event in particular. These are people who've listened to all the candidates, and heard from Obama a few times. At this point, I take notice when Iowans are impressed, as I'm sure at this point, nothing surprises them. Obama wasn't saying anything different, but the mood, the vibe and the presence of Lake and Rice in the room changed the mood, clearly. I think they'd notice if he looked anything less than presidential.

Back to our previously scheduled blog post after the jump...

BASU's comments from the DMR:

This newspaper has endorsed Clinton on the Democratic side. I respect its decision. But after sitting through most of the same candidate meetings, watching, reading, listening and searching my conscience, I've concluded Obama is the one who can best pull off what needs to happen.

Clinton is smart, hard-working, gutsy and tough enough to absorb all the muck that's come her way. But Obama is simply a better candidate. He's that rarest of leaders, combining roots in white Midwestern America with black Africa, and experience both organizing in barrios and editing the Harvard Law Review. He's got idealism, compassion and intellect. And he lacks the baggage Clinton comes with, including all the controversies that swirled around her husband's White House. Nor is he compromised, as she has been, by the Senate vote that got us into this quagmire in Iraq.

The whole column is worth a read and the Register is to be credited for the detailed review process and for publishing pieces that don't agree with the "official" position of the Editorial Board.

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I do believe that there are number of supporters of who do not show up in polling data for this reason alone.So look for an enormous turnout for Obama that totally baffles the pollsters in Iowa, and everywhere else.So this is not right idea, but I thought I'd point it out once again.Virtually all of the young people I know use cell phones exclusively and do NOT support Clinton it they're politically active at all. They are desperate for a change, not a political legacy, and this is Hillary's biggest problem. She represents a political dynasty.