Below are a series of talking points culled from the pages of very conservative Republican Papers, endorsing Barack Obama over Republican John McCain…..

A subtle reminder: these words come from the “Conservative Media”…..

Obama appears to possess the tools to confront our myriad and daunting problems. He’s thoughtful and analytical. He has met his opponents’ attacks with calm and reasoned responses. Viewers of the debates saw a poised, well-prepared plausible president with well-articulated positions on the bread-and-butter issues that poll after poll indicate are the true concerns of voters. While Arizona Sen. John McCain and his running mate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin have struck an increasingly personal and negative tone in their speeches, Obama has continued to talk about issues of substance….. Perhaps the worst mistake McCain made in his campaign for the White House was the choice of the inexperienced and inflammatory Palin as his vice-presidential running mate. Had he selected a moderate, experienced Republican lawmaker such as Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison with a strong appeal to independents, the Chronicle’s choice for an endorsement would have been far more difficult. The Houston Chronicle

The Arizona senator quieted many of his early Republican critics by naming Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, 44, as his running mate. She ignited the base with “drill, baby, drill” speeches and unapologetic social conservatism, as evidenced by her pro-life, teach-creationism stands…….
But that brilliant short-term tactic has proved a flawed long-term strategy. Palin’s once-captivating newness and tough-gal persona have given way to serious questions about her understanding of checks-and-balances governing on a national level. While she may be an entertaining master of the politician’s fine art of the memorable one-liner, she inspires little confidence in her readiness to be commander in chief. Fort Worth Star Telegram

In the third and final debate last week, John McCain, the Republican senator from Arizona, tried to bait him into the gutter, but Obama refused to get down there. Political wisdom dictates that candidates who are attacked return double the fire directed at them. Obama responded calmly, defending himself but declining to respond in kind. Now that’s change. Austin American Statesman.

Obama represents what we all profess to love about our country: an intelligent youngster who grew beyond his family’s modest circumstances to earn an Ivy League education and eventually win a seat in the U.S. Senate and from there launch a bid for the presidency. That experience makes him best suited to show the world that the United States is still the shining city on the hill that President Reagan envisioned. Austin American Statesman.

In unsteady times, it may seem obvious to gravitate toward the veteran politician, but in this campaign, it’s been the newcomer who has had the steady hand. The Denver Post

Republicans love to mock Obama’s history as a community organizer. But here was a man with no money to offer, no patronage to dispense, no way to punish his opponents. All he could do was to work with people from all walks of life, liberals and conservatives, business people and the unemployed, and bring them together in common cause for a better community. Could there really be better preparation to reunite a worried and divided America to again pursue our “more perfect union”? The Denver Post

Many Americans say they’re uneasy about Obama. He’s pretty new to them. We can provide some assurance. We have known Obama since he entered politics a dozen years ago. We have watched him, worked with him, argued with him as he rose from an effective state senator to an inspiring U.S. senator to the Democratic Party’s nominee for president. We have tremendous confidence in his intellectual rigor, his moral compass and his ability to make sound, thoughtful, careful decisions. He is ready. Chicago Tribune

This endorsement makes some history for the Chicago Tribune. This is the first time the newspaper has endorsed the Democratic Party’s nominee for president. Chicago Tribune

The Republican Party, the party of limited government, has lost its way. The government ran a $237 billion surplus in 2000, the year before Bush took office — and recorded a $455 billion deficit in 2008. We might have counted on John McCain to correct his party’s course. It is, though, hard to figure John McCain these days. He argued that President Bush’s tax cuts were fiscally irresponsible, but he now supports them.Chicago Tribune

McCain failed in his most important executive decision. Give him credit for choosing a female running mate–but he passed up any number of supremely qualified Republican women who could have served. Having called Obama not ready to lead, McCain chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. But it’s clear she is not prepared to step in at a moment’s notice and serve as president. McCain put his campaign before his country.Chicago Tribune

But McCain has been a less impressive candidate this year than when he ran for president in 2000. Although claiming to be a change agent, he is following in Bush’s footsteps on everything from the war in Iraq to tax breaks that favor the wealthy over the middle class. The Kansas City Star

Despite his age and previous health problems, McCain chose a vice presidential candidate who is so clearly unqualified for high office that the thought of her stepping into the presidency is frightening. That irresponsible decision casts serious doubt on McCain’s judgment at this point in his political career. The Kansas City Star

Obama wants judges who won’t favor the strong at the expense of the weak. He offers hope for a Supreme Court that would reject excessive executive power and protect precious freedoms. The Kansas City Star

We have thrown our support behind Obama, 47, because he is the candidate who is best equipped to face the challenges that the 21st century has brought. While his eloquence and oratory skills are well documented even by his critics, he also has the ability to reach out to average Americans in an effort to help improve their lives. Southwest News Herald (IL)

But what we find refreshing about Obama is his ideas. He spoke against the Iraq War while many of his current colleagues meekly went along with the brass-knuckle tactics of the Bush administration. He is right in saying that we lost our focus in the fight against terror — mainly not concentrating on Afghanistan and the borders along Pakistan. Our chances of capturing Osama bin Laden, who is acknowledge as the guiding force behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks, would have been better served if we focused on the area where Taliban and al-Qaida originally thrived. Southwest News Herald (IL)

In the past eight years, the policies and ideologies that have animated the Bush administration have proved disastrous in almost every field of endeavor, from foreign policy to economics to relatively straightforward tasks such as responding to natural disasters…However, in his current role as Republican nominee, McCain has yet to explain how most of his proposed policies and approaches differ from those of the current president. From deregulation of Wall Street and tax cuts that favor the richest 5 percent of Americans to a more aggressive foreign policy, McCain’s approach now reflects the same Republican orthodoxy that has governed this country since 2000. Time and again, he has been offered chances to explain how his philosophy differs from that of the current president, and he has not been able to do so. Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A third term under another Republican president would inevitably be populated by much the same cast of GOP staffers, executives and bureaucrats that has run Washington for so long and with such disastrous results. McCain’s campaign staff illustrates that problem perfectly because it is populated by many of the same people who ran previous Bush campaigns. They are also still trying to run the same basic Republican playbook that the party has used since 1980. In fact, the competence of McCain’s campaign staff is itself cause to question the candidate’s executive abilities. To some degree, the rigors of creating and running a campaign organization can be a test of the skills needed to create and run an administration. And even many Republicans acknowledge that the McCain campaign has been poorly organized and erratic, lurching from one crisis to another without the sense of a strong hand at the tiller. Atlanta Journal-Constitution

And of course, the most unfortunate evidence of that “strategic incoherence and operational incompetence” was McCain’s selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, a person utterly unprepared for the high post in question. The contrast with the campaign run by Barack Obama could not be more stark. More than a year ago, when he was still a long shot without much money, Obama somehow managed to attract a staff talented and disciplined enough to defeat Hillary Clinton and the Clinton machine in the Democratic primaries. It has since gone on to demonstrate a great deal of political discipline, skill and innovation, running a 21st century campaign that appeals to 21st century America. Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Obama mounted an extraordinary grass-roots campaign, raised gobs of cash, and showed great fortitude and equanimity in the face of the Clinton juggernaut. He endured, and once the nomination was his, he set about uniting his divided party with an impressive display of magnanimity and diplomacy. John McCain, meanwhile, crushed Mitt Romney to gain his party’s nomination, but then blundered badly by not bringing the business-savvy Romney onto the ticket. Romney would have shored up. The Salt Lake Tribune

Then, out of nowhere, and without proper vetting, the impetuous McCain picked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. She quickly proved grievously underequipped to step into the presidency should McCain, at 72 and with a history of health problems, die in office. More than any single factor, McCain’s bad judgment in choosing the inarticulate, insular and ethically challenged Palin disqualifies him for the presidency. The Salt Lake Tribune

Still, we have compelling reasons for endorsing Obama on his merits alone. Under the most intense scrutiny and attacks from both parties, Obama has shown the temperament, judgment, intellect and political acumen that are essential in a president that would lead the United States out of the crises created by President Bush, a complicit Congress and our own apathy. The Salt Lake Tribune

Indeed, we see too many of Bush’s failed policies in McCain’s recipe for recovery. The country desperately needs a new and well-defined road map for the 21st century and leadership that can unite the country behind it. We believe that Barack Obama can give us both. The Salt Lake Tribune

Running a campaign is similar to running an administration. It requires that the leader set the tone; that he manage a complex organization; that he chart a nimble course in the face of changing circumstances; that he choose subordinates judiciously; that he exercise good judgment under pressure. An effective campaign is the prelude to a well-run office.  Sen. Obama has acquitted himself superbly, masterminding a marathon run with focus, discipline and a knack for assembling a talented team. He communicates across lines of age, class and ethnicity. He listens and he learns. His ability to beat the Clintons, past masters of electoral politics, showed tough leadership and organizational qualities. The Times-Picayune

And, yes, consider Senator Obama’s culturally complex national and international background, and that he has known both affluence and poverty. He has, in short, been informed by a very rich set of experiences, some very challenging emotionally and intellectually, that should strengthen his capacity for national and international leadership. The Providence Journal

John McCain, of course, is an impressive leader — with a record for bravery and independence. But in his effort to gain the support of the Republican base, he has cast off some of the ideals that for a long time made him so attractive to us. While he used to be a deficit hawk, who warned about the effects on our over-indebted society of federal budget deficits, in this election cycle he has backed continued big tax cuts weighted to the wealthy. He has also supported some of the Bush administration’s constitutionally flawed policies in the “War on Terror.” The Providence Journal

It has been a historic campaign, and Sen. Obama’s would be a presidency unimaginable not so long ago. But there is more, much more, than race as a defining fact in his unique ability to unite the disparate threads of this country. He represents a departure from the political model that casts fear like a net over the country, paralyzing us and our better angels into submission. That’s the legacy of the Bush years. New Jersey Star-Ledger

His opponent, on the other hand, has employed a variety of what can only be called gim micks. Rather than pandering to voters, Sen. Obama has leveled with us. New Jersey Star-Ledger

A year ago, John McCain, the Republican candidate for president, would have had our vote. In terms of experience, political courage and willingness to work with political opponents, McCain’s record towered above that of Barack Obama, the Democratic candidate. But this admirable man has transformed himself into a partisan Republican at a time when the public temper demands a change of political climate, and his unregulated market beliefs lay in shambles along with many of the world’s financial systems. New Haven Register

Palin’s opposition to abortion, even in the case of rape or incest, is a reminder of the Republicans’ willingness to use government to intrude on deeply personal choices when they controlled Congress. McCain shares her abortion stance. New Haven Register

Equally troubling is McCain’s choice of a running mate who thinks creationism should be taught as an alternative to evolution, invokes God to justify political decisions and suggested banning books from her town’s library.New Haven Register

McCain now wants to make permanent the Bush tax cuts that he once opposed. Those cuts have largely favored the rich and helped fuel the federal budget deficit. Obama would shift the balance to put more of the tax burden on the rich, where it belongs. Under Obama’s tax plan, a married couple with two children and a gross income of $1 million would pay $35,500 more in taxes. Under McCain’s plan, they would pay $6,100 less,New Haven Register

Obama has the brighter view on education, breaking with his party on charter schools and merit pay, and proposing AmeriCorps-style civic duty and tax credits to help pay for college. Naples Daily News

Obama has the intellect needed to comprehend the complexities of the times and the ability to articulate his positions clearly and eloquently. He can inspire, and we believe he will be able to bring out the best in the American people at a time when our best will be needed. He also offers the best hope for building coalitions and winning back the support of our friends abroad, which he recognizes is critical, not only to help win the war on terrorism but to restore order in the world financial markets. McCain has burned too many bridges to lead at home or in the international arena. His abrasiveness and that of running mate Sarah Palin during the debates, at their rallies and in their barrage of attack ads have been in sharp contrast to the respectful presidential manner of Obama. Asbury Park Press

While Obama’s résumé may be thin, his talents and abilities are anything but. In the nearly two years since his announcement, Obama has inspired a flock of new voters who are excited about the U.S. political system for the first time in their lives. He has demonstrated steady leadership and a keen intellect at a time when those qualities are most needed. La Cruses Sun News

The election of Obama on Nov. 4 does not guarantee that he will be able to deliver immediately on the ambitious agenda of change that he has been discussing and developing with Americans for the past 20 months. Nor will his selection solve the world’s economic crisis. But electing Obama next month does declare to the entire world that a new, positive and optimistic course has been set for America, with attainable and desirable goals that will lift up the 305 million people who call this country home. Hamilton Journal News

We have squandered the sympathy, support and respect that the rest of the world offered us on Sept. 12, 2001. We have gone from fretting pompously about our role as the “world’s policeman” in the post-Cold War era to being the world’s most prominent debtor. Our policies and direction must change.Hamilton Journal News

Some great signal of a new beginning is needed. Obama, far more than his opponent, Republican Sen. John McCain, can send that signal. And then President Obama can get down to business. In addition to wanting to see a new tone in Washington, we have more confidence that an Obama administration can steer the country onto a sounder course than a McCain administration can. The Repository Canton OH

Obama is much more in tune with the struggles of the middle class, and his tax plan would benefit many more Americans than McCain’s proposals would. According to the nonpartisan Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, middle-class families would save about $1,118 a year under Obama’s plan, but only $325 under McCain’s. Obama’s plan also would increase the deficit less than McCain’s — $3.5 trillion by 2018, compared to $5 trillion, the center calculates. The Repository Canton OH

This editorial board found two things that should be marginal concerns kept coming up as make-or-break issues. And they added plenty of heat to the discussion. McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin for a running mate seems as shockingly amateurish and ill-advised today as it was in August. Nothing that has happened on the campaign trail has changed this. The spirit of Lee Atwater and Karl Rove seems to be the energizing force of the McCain/Palin Express, and it’s the opposite of straight talk. Slimy campaigning is headed for another all-time high. While the nation is seeking guidance on economic and national defense problems of momentous proportion, this election seems to hinge on the guilt-by-association grenades that Republicans keep lobbing up, hoping to bring down Obama. The Express Times – Easton PA

If this is a manual for how a McCain/Palin partnership would guide the nation out of a morass, we’d opt for Bob Barr or Ralph Nader first. Their campaigns look like beacons of integrity in comparison.The Express Times – Easton PA

But as we examined leadership qualities of both men, we saw Obama’s massive strides in uniting his own Democratic party, even reaching beyond his party to speak to all Americans. McCain, in stark contrast, continues to slog through a fractious Republican Party that often is his worst enemy. It takes strong leadership skills to enlist record numbers of volunteers and to continually explore new heights in the polls, as Obama methodically demonstrates. The Columbian (WA)

As for judgment, Obama chose a running mate who neither hurt him in the polls nor diverted the spotlight from the main man on the ticket. McCain’s choice has done both. McCain tries to masquerade this recklessness as the virtue of a maverick. Would he use that same recklessness in appointing Supreme Court justices and Cabinet members? Which candidate in recent weeks has shown a presidential demeanor? Which could best restore worldwide respect for the U.S.? Which man has tried to soothe — not stoke — rancor in the homestretch of this campaign? Clearly, that man is Obama. The Columbian (WA)

Beyond these issues, let’s review two popular but empty charges against Obama. His supposed lack of experience, history reveals, is a red herring. His 12 years in elected office are more than Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt or Ronald Reagan each brought to the presidency. Too young at 47? Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton were younger. (Also on the subject of age, is McCain too old at 72? Certainly not.) The Columbian (WA)

America’s comparison between the upstart reformer and the venerable war hero inexorably returns to the qualities of leadership and judgment. Obama wins that comparison, and his message of partnerships at home and abroad seals the deal for us. The Columbian (WA)

Sarah Palin. The governor of Alaska took the national political scene by storm, and by surprise, when McCain picked her as his running mate. Palin has obvious appeal to the conservative wing of the Republican party, and her outspoken, folksy ways brought her a lot of attention for a while. But her 15 minutes of fame in the national spotlight are over. On the campaign trail, we’re not seeing the kind of substance, depth and breadth of experience that’s necessary in someone a heartbeat away from the presidency. Obama’s pick, veteran Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, is head and shoulders above Palin. His years of experience and expertise in foreign affairs are strong complements to Obama. Obama may be the least experienced of the two presidential candidates, but he has demonstrated the savvy, reasoned countenance and willingness to look at new ideas that are sorely needed in the White House. The nation has had enough of the shoot-from-the-hip policymaking that has seemed so much a part of the Bush II presidency. In short, Obama/Biden is a much stronger ticket than McCain/Palin. Yakima Herald (WA)

Obama is convincing in his call for a new kind of politics in Washington. His life story and history-making bid for the White House also have forced the rest of the world to view America in a new and more positive way. An Obama presidency will immediately give America more clout and credibility around the globe. It will immediately win over and win back allies and friends. As much as other nations may fear American power and influence, they fear our potential decline even more. American must not decline. America must remain a beacon of freedom, democracy, innovation and prosperity. And that’s why voting for the first-term senator is worth the risk. Wisconsin State Journal

These Conservatives looked deep in their hearts, and found Obama actually represents their vision of Conservatism… better than McCain…. If the brightest of America’s conservatives feel that way….. shouldn’t you do as well?

Consider Obama… He is what both sides feel this country needs….