Conservative Endorsements

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You know it's a transformational year when the son of William Buckley endorses Barack Obama. A few hours later, he left his father's National Review magazine. I'm guessing they won't be endorsing any Democrats this year.

Today, Michael Smerconish endorsed Barack Obama. He read from the op-ed coming this Sunday in the Philadelphia Inquirer on his radio show today:

I’ve decided. My conclusion comes after reading the candidates’ memoirs and campaign platforms, attending both party conventions, interviewing both men multiple times, and watching all primary and general election debates.

John McCain is an honorable man who has served his country well. But he will not get my vote. For the first time since registering as a Republican 28 years ago, I’m voting for a Democrat for president.

I may have been an appointee in the George H.W. Bush administration, and master of ceremonies for George W. Bush in 2004, but last Saturday I stood amidst the crowd at an Obama event in North Philadelphia.

While Smerconish is on national TV on occasion as a commentor, around here it's different. A couple years ago, the "Inky" was bought by a group headed by a right-winger name Brian Tierney. He had promised that the paper would remain editorially free. The Inky was known a lot of years ago as a bastion of investigative reporting. It won 17 Pulitzers from the mid-70's to the late 80's. It was a Democratic paper.

Under Tierney, somehow, some way, ostensibly due to cost-cutting necessity, the left-leaning editorial staff and commentators were gone. Smerconish, right-wing, became the "name" of the "Currents" section. The entire tone of the news changed. It wasn't all on Smerconish, certainly, but for a lot of us, it was the end of supporting our local paper.

I am stunned and thrilled at this endorsement.