In SchnauzerLand, Obama's the Man

We already have analyzed The Birmingham News' endorsement for president. So let's look at a more important topic--our endorsement here at Legal Schnauzer.

Regular readers probably will not be surprised to learn that everyone in SchnauzerWorld--Mrs. Schnauzer, our Tonkinese cats Baxter and Chloe, Chucky the Ground Squirrel who rules our backyard, and yours truly--wholeheartedly endorses Barack Obama.

Why? We think he has a chance to be a good, maybe even a great, president. We think his temperament and judgment far surpass McCain's at a time of crisis. And given our experiences with corrupt Republicans here in Alabama, it would taken Dirty Harry Callahan, threatening us with "Magnum Force," to get us to pull the GOP lever.

Even if we thought Obama had "mediocrity" written all over him, he would still get our vote. And that's because we consider this a one-man race, given that McCain has disqualified himself on numerous fronts:

* The Guilt by Association front--We are coming off eight years of probably the most incompetent and corrupt administration in American history. McCain shares a party label with George W. Bush and voted with him 90 percent of the time. Verdict: McCain is disqualified.

* The Karl Rove front--The "architect" of the Bush disaster has been Karl Rove. Has McCain distanced himself from Rove? Nope. His campaign largely is run by Rove acolytes, with King Karl himself playing a supporting role. Verdict: McCain is disqualified.

* The War and Economy front--The two biggest issues of the moment are the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the economic meltdown. McCain consistently has been wrong on both. He supported the boneheaded decision to go into Iraq, draining resources from the real war against terrorism in Afghanistan. McCain has been even more wrong on the economy. His chief economic advisor was former U.S. Senator Phil Gramm, whose legislative handiwork largely led to the current crisis. In fact, the lead segment on 60 Minutes Sunday night, "The Bet That Blew Up Wall Street," was about the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000, which fueled the economic collapse of 2008. Who was the primary author and sponsor of this legislative trainwreck? Why, "Foreclosure Phil" Gramm. Verdict: McCain is disqualified.

* The Physical and Mental Health front--John McCain is 72 years old and has had multiple battles with a deadly form of skin cancer. Even when he is healthy, he is famed for his hotheaded nature. And anyone who reads this bizarre interview with reporters from Time magazine must wonder if McCain is on firm ground emotionally. Substantial evidence suggests this man has no business running for president, much less being president. Verdict: McCain is disqualified.

* The Vice Presidential front--McCain's choice of Sarah Palin might go down as the most goofy political decision in American history. Palin probably was overachieving by becoming mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. In addition to her lack of experience and curiosity, she brings loads of ethical baggage. We all should be grateful that Palin has given us Tina Fey's spot-on impersonation. But the thought of Palin being anywhere near the White House should scare the beejeebers out of all Americans--at least those who have beejeebers. Verdict: McCain is disqualified.

* The "This Party Needs to be Fumigated" Front--The Republican Party, in its current form, is so rife with corruption and so disconnected from morals and ethics that it needs to be torn down and rebuilt from scratch. A functional, coherent, respectable Republican Party is important to our democracy. But the party right now is so infested with Karl Rove types that it serves only as a threat to our democracy. The GOP is like a house that is so riddled with termites that it needs to be demolished. And the best way to do that is to give it a serious electoral spanking. Until that happens, the GOP will continue on a path that has brought us a dysfunctional justice department and an economic system on the verge of collapse. Verdict: McCain is disqualified.

On an issue near to our hearts, Obama offers hope that our corrupted Justice Department will be restored to a place where "justice" really means something. John McCain, by intentionally hiding Alabama Governor Bob Riley's connections to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, has shown that he is not likely to do a thing about a justice system that is in tatters.

Finally, there are many other positive reasons to vote for Obama.

And an Alabama newspaper has actually endorsed him, proving that not all of our news outlets have their heads firmly planted up their rectums. Yes, the Tuscaloosa News says Barack Obama is the far superior candidate, and it states the case quite eloquently.

Obama is 47, cool under fire, a brilliant speaker who can rally an audience. His choice of Sen. Joe Biden, a respected and experienced hand in government, as his running mate showed solid judgment and maturity. Obama's temperament was a major consideration in our endorsement.

He has a vision — unity, cooperation, healing and transformation — that most Americans share. He wants to re-orient the country to empower ordinary people, not just its wealthy voters, big corporations or Washington lobbyists. He wants to make government a helpful ally, not a suspicious monitor. He wants to replace swagger and bombast with genuine concern for rights and well-being.

Most analysts agree he cannot deliver on all the things he has promised. Neither can McCain. But just pointing this country in the right direction — the path laid down by Obama's agenda — will be a welcome change. We urge voters to embrace it.

Couldn't have said it better myself.