Yale Daily News

Updated: Thursday, August 21, 2008 at 4:42pm

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Primary Endorsement: Barack Obama

Although Hillary Clinton might be the natural choice for Yalies, Obama—wise, brilliant and innovative in his conception of the presidency—is the natural choice for the nation

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Published Friday, February 1, 2008
It would seem natural for us to endorse Hillary Clinton for president. She attended Yale Law School — the roots of the Clintonian dynasty are here in New Haven — and left an accomplished and well liked alumna. She has led an inspiring career of public service since. And indeed, we are grateful for the past 18 years of Eli representation in the Oval Office. Four, or eight, more sounds nice enough.
#1 By King T (Unregistered User) 11:11am on February 1, 2008

thank you for being on the right side of History!

#2 By @King T (Unregistered User) 12:13pm on February 1, 2008

"right side of History" is a thinly veiled racial argument for Obama. Leave it alone, and try to defend Obama's thin record on its own.

#3 By John (Unregistered User) 12:14pm on February 1, 2008

Hopefully voters will realize that the point of an election isn't to elect a rock star.

#4 By MichDem (Unregistered User) 2:59pm on February 1, 2008

There is a wonderful video available on MSNBC where Brian Williams asks Sen. Obama this question (in a series of others). He has eluded that certain members of his cabinet would include Warren Buffett, Al Gore, and the rumor mill is circling now regarding Sen. Edwards as a possible Attorney General.

On the contrary, Sen. Clinton, will more than likely include Jennifer Granholm as her attorney general. I wouldn't trust Gov. Granholm in my cabinet after the way she's run Michigan into the ground.

#5 By Martin L. (Unregistered User) 4:30pm on February 1, 2008

Very eloquent and inspiring endorsement!

#6 By robert (Unregistered User) 6:59pm on February 1, 2008

I thought people at Yale (especially faculty) disliked the Bush dynasty. Why does the article express gratitude for the 11+ years of Bushes in the White House?

#7 By bend (Unregistered User) 9:34pm on February 1, 2008

W. was not a good president

#8 By (Anonymous) 9:40pm on February 1, 2008

The endorsement suggests that he was not a good president — (if that) is in parenthesis. Don't worry; I'm sure the YDN board would not hesitate before calling for his impeachment. Focus on the point of the piece, maybe?

#9 By (Anonymous) 1:59pm on February 3, 2008

Endorsement from a media, that is shameful.

#10 By (Anonymous) 10:15pm on February 3, 2008

As much as I love my alma mater, this endorsement doesn't even get the facts straight.

Obama representing his actual home state? He grew up in Hawaii

#11 By '10 (Unregistered User) 10:53pm on February 3, 2008

He has lived in Chicago, Illinois since he graduated from college. Clinton moved to New York months before running for office.

#12 By 10 (Unregistered User) 4:37pm on February 4, 2008

After hearing him speak, I think of Obama as an inspirational leader who can unite the country. Unfortunately, I see little substance to his talk of uniting people to solve problems. In Hillary Clinton, however, we have a leader who may be unpopular and polarizing, but one has risen to the occasion in the past and will surely rise to it as our next President!

#13 By Anne (Unregistered User) 5:28pm on February 4, 2008

I am impressed that Yale did not endorse Hilary simply because it is her alma mater. Forward thinking, wise, insightful! Thankyou!

#14 By anon (Unregistered User) 5:38pm on February 4, 2008

Obama is a Condi-Rice/Colin-Powell, who has been packaged by the ruling elite and marketed to the masses:

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/feb2008/obam-f04.shtml

Clinton, not Obama, is the true anti-establishment candidate.

#15 By tom wilcox (Unregistered User) 6:35pm on February 4, 2008

I think most the people on this commentary are just stupid. Obama was the editor if the Harvard Law Review, I mean his life is an inspiration. Instead of making millions on wall street he decided to be a community organizer making 13k a year, just think about the integrety of this MAN. HILLARY WAS MAKING 200K A YEAR ON WALMART'S BORAD OF DIRECTORS WHILE RAKING IN MILLIONS AT THE CORPORATE LAW FIRM SHE WAS EMPLOYED AT. ANYBODY WHO VOTES FOR HILLARY IS JUST PLAIN DUMB AND IS VOTING FOR THE SECRET SOCIETY.

#16 By on2them (Unregistered User) 6:46pm on February 4, 2008

Listening to the HRC supporters talk about HRC being the only one who can lead us or the 'true anti-establishment candidate' is laughable...there must be some Clingon trolls gallantly running about or people who can't read.

#17 By Lena (Unregistered User) 7:05pm on February 4, 2008

HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Clinton is the true anti-establishement candidate, righttttttttttt.

My God, her tricks really do work!

#18 By anon (Unregistered User) 8:25pm on February 4, 2008

Obama = No Health Insurance.

Unfortunately, celebrities don't care about the poor.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/04/opinion/04krugman.html

#19 By not Hillary please (Unregistered User) 8:38pm on February 4, 2008

i'm impressed. OBAMA 08!

#20 By (Anonymous) 11:07pm on February 4, 2008

this is ridiculous. "he seemed genuine. he probably was." this is supposed to be a newspaper, an institution that questions potential leaders rather than taking what "seems" to be true.

#21 By Susan (Unregistered User) 12:18am on February 5, 2008

Thank you for an honest, brave and thoughtful endorsement!

#22 By Carlton (Unregistered User) 5:35am on February 6, 2008

Let me see if I possibly get this straight: As editors of The Yale Daily News, you are saying that Bush Sr, Clinton, and Bush Jr. are all basically the same -- "good but not great." That's your whole wrapup of those men. Not any real difference. Nothing particularly good about the Clinton years '92-2000. Um....are you insane? Why should any intelligent person take you seriously when you can't even differentiate between Bill Clinton and Bush? Yeah -- really brave to endorse Obama when every kid on every campus supports him. It would have shown some real balls to endorse Hillary, but of course you can't do that because she is part of some -- what is it again? -- secret CIA evil conspiracy to destroy us all and lie and control the universe (wait sorry -- i have to check past Rush Limbaugh shows online to get all the dirt against her straight.) Way to go out on a limb. Glad to see you are standing by the right-wing Republicans as they knew you would. YDNews: "Bush-Clinton -- no real difference." How sad and pathetic.

#23 By Anonymous (Unregistered User) 11:33am on February 6, 2008

"Still lingering, though, is the question of substance."

Like Obama's speeches, your endorsement has impressive rhetoric but fails to mention concrete issues (health care, education, etc.).

#24 By Jack (Unregistered User) 12:59pm on February 6, 2008

I'm still trying to figure out how the 90s economic boom jumped into Hillary Clintons's resume. There's no mention of Al Gore in the Clintons' campaign speeches.

Al Gore is known as one of the fathers of the Internet. That economic boom was driven by the Internet which was new at the time. How come so many people out there think the Clintons have this magical power over the economy? When will a true American visionary, Al Gore, get his due?

#25 By Adrienne (Unregistered User) 12:53am on February 7, 2008

I am Asian. I am tired of all the racial comments. I am tired of everyone giving Obama a "pass" because he is black. Everytime something is not favorable for the Obama's camp, it is about race. What happent to hard work and rating performance from his record? He has done nothing with his years in the senate. I am tired of giving a black person a pass because it makes everyone feels better. Did Obama get a free pass into Harvard? A very valid question since blacks are accepted at a lower standard. These free passes are resulting in discrimination against hard working Asians and White families. Has anyone notice that Asians are not even mention in this 2008 primary process...

#26 By robert (Unregistered User) 12:02am on February 11, 2008

obama is both black and white. but i only hear him talking about his afro-americanism.

he is using the black side of his ethnicity to play on the sentiments of the young who want to be in vogue and to ride the fence to capture the vast majority of americans who want to make up for past descrimination.

what a shameful and abuser of empty speech rhetoric and psuedo-african/america, obama is.

do you need to be a lawyer to see this?

the media is not reporting responsibly by using african american commentators to racially blind the american public.

what injustice is being commited on us.

stand up like a man obama and get off of your denial of just being a good american. keep race out of it. you are not just african-american. stop your half lying of who you are and stop making our great country a mockery based on race.

#27 By Jack (Unregistered User) 2:14pm on February 18, 2008

This is a response to Adrienne the Asian.

The last time I checked Asians were not outperforming African students in American universities. As a matter of fact the African community has the highest percentage of college graduates in America.

One of Obama's Harvard professors in fact said Barack was 'the best all round student he had seen in decades'. No one in his right mind can question Obama's intellectual strength.

What amazes me is how Asians who come from some of the worst kinds of poverty and deprivation arrive here and suddenly put on a superiority complex.

I applaud white Americans who have refused to be blinded by racism. But this election is about to expose is the racism of (non-Philipino) Asians. These people would never employ a black person even in a business that depends on a black clientele. Black people who visit their native lands return with horror stories. I don't see them hiring a black person to be president of the country. This election may finally open the eyes of Africans-Americans who support their businesses.

#28 By (Anonymous) 2:02pm on February 19, 2008

This is painful to read/watch. The democratic party is yet again going to undo itself in the presidential election. I can't even count the number of times I've heard either Obama or Clinton supporters saying they won't vote for the other candidate if they win the primary. This is absolutely LUDICROUS. They are not going to vote for the other candidate even though their legislative records are almost identical (they share over 90% agreement rate on legislation)? This election matters. The next supreme court justices to retire are liberals. Please get over this bittnerness and realize that we'll be looking be saying goodbye to Roe V. Wade if a democrat doesn't win.

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