Obama makes history in Stockton

For the first time since 1936, the Stockton Record is endorsing a Democrat for president. Can the Orange County Register be far behind? From the Associated Press:

The newspaper says it’s supporting Barack Obama over Republican John McCain because the Democratic candidate has “demonstrated he will think things through, seek advice and actually listen to it.” The editorial also credits Obama with an ability to inspire and said he would put regulators in federal oversight agencies that were “systematically dismantled by the Bush administration.” Editor Mike Klocke said the last time the paper endorsed a Democrat was in 1936, when it backed the re-election of Franklin Roosevelt.

Well, the right-leaning Register editorial page has expressed some concerns about McCain, but may not go as far as to endorse Obama.

From its Orange Punch opinion blog: "One of the questions that remain about Barack Obama is the contention that he is a far-left radical who began his political life as the kind of community organizer Saul Alinsky, author of "Rules for Radicals," godfather of the community organizing network ACORN, and strong proponent of confronting the “system” with provocative and sometimes even violent activity, urged people to be, and hasn’t really changed. I confess that I don’t really know. He certainly doesn’t sound like a radical now, but is that a smokescreen?"

-- Shelby Grad

Photo: Associated Press