The Seattle Times has endorsed President Obama’s re-election, with reservations:
Bottom line: Obama’s presidency has been disappointing, but he still has promise. Romney would be too much of a gamble.
This is not entirely surprising. The ST endorsed Obama over McCain in 2008. What’s interesting about its editors endorsement is how tepid it is. The only solid criticism of Romney in the piece is criticism of Gov. Romney’s stand on China trade policy. Most of the rest of the piece is actually a criticism of Obama.
I plan to follow and post on the various newspaper endorsements for president. The ones I’m actually interested in are those who endorsed McCain in 2008 but endorse Obama now or endorsed Obama in 2008 but endorse Romney now. If any.
I have a 20 minute drive to main place of work. I saw the first signs up for a presidential candidate this week, for Obama. Drove 45 minutes in the other direction to look at some furniture. Saw zero signs.
Steve
Yesterday I took a tour through Winter Garden again. This time there were several Romney yard sighs, but no Obama yard signs. This is not surprising. Four years ago only one house in that area had a yard sign for OBama. Incidentally, the house that had the Obama sign had signs up for about a dozen other races that year, and McCain was the ONLY Republican candidate they did not support. People forget that McCain wasn’t exactly beloved by the Republicans and certainly not by conservatives.
But finally WG is turning up the support for Romney.
The big test for signage will be College Park. Affluent, white and one of the nicest neighborhoods in Orlando proper. (Parts of it are as nice as pretty much any place in Central Florida, IMO.) Last time around Obama carried a noticeable edge in College Park throughout the fall, often by a 5-3 ratio. There was lots of sign stealing back then, as well as attempts to block signs of neighbors. (The two main east-west streets through College Park are both one-way, so this strategy is actually effective.) Also neighbors setting up signs in ways to make it look like two houses instead of one endorsed this candidate or that.
I was driving through that neighborhood almost daily back then, so that’s why I’m confident about the sign stealing and such – I could watch the changes daily. Occasionally one would even see a house switch allegiance overnight, and then be back to their previous days preference by the afternoon! I’d have to check my old posts, but I seem to remember both sides were doing everything. But Obama just had more support. We’ll see this time around. Still a noticeable lack of bumper stickers in the area.
Perhaps as early as tomorrow I will take a trip through College Park to check signs. We’ll see. So far this year there haven’t been any over there, and signs went up early last time.
I really just don’t see much positive enthusiasm this time around. But there is a strong Tea Party presence in the area, so I know they’re busting ass organizationally.
steve, were you living in that area last time? Do you remember what the signage was like?
For the record, I’m still voting Attila the Hun although maybe I’ll switch to Johnson(L) after all. My wife is wavering between not voting and voting for Romney. She really can’t stomach the idea of four more years of Obama, but the Republicans are really pushing her away on the social issues. (The personhood stuff in particular makes her – uncomfortable. To put it mildly.) My advice to her has been what you would expect, don’t vote for Republicans.
I did waver a bit and registered to vote in my new locale. I’ve got plenty of OTHER people to vote against, too. I may vote Attila for every office on the ballot. If it’s close in Florida and someone mentions a ballot with Attila written in for every office, you’ll know it was me!
Pretty much all the signs are for local candidates around where I live, and there aren’t many of those. It’s pretty surprising actually, considering the money in this election. For some reason candidates and superpacs are spending a ton of money on TV ads that most people with DVR skip through. So far, the only political TV ads I’ve seen are while watching football games.
There are no yard signs here as yet.
Interestingly, during the teachers’ strike I saw exactly two signs in support of the strike. Both were in the yards of CTU delegates.
Any of you with military connections have an opinion on this story?
In states with very close margins that could be a huge story.
In states with very close margins that could be a huge story.
Yah. I’m wondering who is really responsible for the absentee ballot mailings. If it is indeed the DoD….
@Ice- Nationally, it is down from 166k to 55k. We are out of Iraq. There arent as many pressing military issues. I would suspect apathy. I have a hard time seeing the GO governor of VA holding up the process.
On the signage issue, there were no signs there in 2008. On my alternate path, if I need gas I go through our town of 2,000, there were dozens of signs in 2008. None this year.
Steve
Oops.
http://www.newsmax.com/US/ballot-requests-military-gop/2012/10/01/id/458223
Steve
Ice,
I don’t know what to think about that story. Could be any number of factors at work and it’s still early, so things could change. FWIW when my wife was transferred here to Florida she didn’t receive this new form the article talks about – it’s the first I’ve heard of it to be honest.
Ok people. You can get Obama yard signs or bumper stickers at the Seattle Dem office, 901 Rainier Ave. So, 98114. Ph: 206-395-2116. Cross streets are Charles & Rainier. $10 suggested donation.