UT Student Paper Endorses Clinton

The Daily Texan student newspaper is apparently miffed by Obama’s snubb of the paper during the debate. The student paper at UT-Austin has endorsed Hillary Clinton. The UT Daily outlined the following major reasons for their endorsement of Hillary over Obama:

1. Clinton, as a seasoned politician, is the best person to clean up the mess after Bush
2. Obama snubbed the daily by saying he had every major newspaper endorsement in Texas (UT Daily had not endorsed yet - which you would think if Obama would be sensitive to given he was at UT!)
3. The Obama campaign was not as sympathetic as Hillary’s campaign to calls for increasing number of students seats at the UT-Austin debate
4. The country needs a proven steady hand to manage transition from the Bush years as opposed to an untested agent of hope and inspiration

The endorsement is hardly as good as other newspapers and it makes me wonder if it’s sort of a ploy on the board’s part for attention or purposeful attempt at false praise. Either way it’s clear the UT student population has had a strong reaction to the endorsement.

Is the reaction negative or positive? What sort of debate has arisen because of it?

As a student at The University of Texas, I feel it is incumbent upon me to respond. However I think it would be more enlightening to share some of my fellow students/alumni views of the endorsement.

“This is one of the most idiotic editorials I have ever read… The very abrasiveness you find off-putting in Candidate Clinton will be similarly off-putting to the members of Congress with whom she will have to work to ‘clean up’ Washington. How do you think that will go over? And how clean do you think Candidate Clinton can make things when she is deeply indebted to the lobbyists who have been funding her campaign?”

“Senator Hillary Clinton outshined Senator Obama with her poise, command of the issues, eloquence, and connection to the American people. Without question she was the most presidential of the two candidates. Senator Clinton’s responses to substantive questions demonstrated her superior and comprehensive understanding of the complex domestic and foreign policy challenges our country faces in contrast to the clicheic platitudes offered by Senator Obama. The most striking evidence of this was that in numerous instances, in the absence of the depth and specificity in his own platform, Senator Obama mimicked and regurgitated the language and substance of Senator Clinton’s responses to explain policies which he then claimed to be his own. Even in the face of the same old tiresome attacks on her, Senator Clinton maintained a dignified, calm, but firm, stance remaining clear and concise in her responses while Senator Obama, sputtering and stuttering, rambled on.”

“Show some patience by not placing Barack in the highest position in the land before he is ready. It will backfire on the Democratic Party in 2012. Give him the time he needs to strengthen his many weak areas of knowledge, such as, foreign relations and the tricky political processes he doesn’t understand… I believe Hillary NOW, Obama next, is the strongest possible position for the Democrats to remain in power for the next 16 years. It would be a mistake for voters not to consider the future possibilities for our country and for our party. ”

“I’m disappointed in the decision-making process of this writer. Making a decision based on whether a candidate considers The Daily Texan a “major newspaper” or whether a candidate could get you extra tickets to the debate strikes as immaturity. That these two issues led your editorial astounds me. There was no depth in your decision. There was no research. What will be the cost of Hilary’s abrasiveness? What will be the cost of her health care program? What will be the cost of the student aid? Who will pay for this? With what? Social Security funds have been transferred to the general budget. So our mandatory participation in that plan has become more and more expensive - with no hope of ever getting back what was put in (and I’m much closer to retirement than you.) We need a nation of kids who can think and be creative and work — even if it means working while you’re in college to pay for your educations. It appears from the editorial that the most important thing is handouts and kudos. Perhaps that’s not it. Yes, I’d like a better solution for healthcare, but Hilary’s plan is not it. I’m not sure that Barack’s plan is it — but it’s beginning to make more sense. I’ve gone without health insurance for 7 years. I’ve been blessed so far, but I’m frightened not to have it. But I also have a small business, and I’d be out of business if Hilary’s plan were to be mandatory. But if Barack could figure out how to make the costs lower, then maybe I could work it out. I’ve not made my decision. I have a lot of thinking and research to do not only about what the candidates say — but also about the costs of their talk. Perhaps you should get back to the basics and do your research.”

and lastly

“Look at link below - it puts both Obama’s and Clinton’s records to the test. It is telling that more of his bills had more sponsors and passed than hers did. Also - she co-sponsored some of his legislation!

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/20/201332/807/36/458633

Jacob Smith - alumni - Go HORNS!”

It is pretty obvious that there is plenty of debate between students at UT over who is the best choice for the Democratic nomination.

By the way that is the most biased legislative side-by-side piece of analysis I have ever seen in my life. Let us not even pretend that you can consider that as a serious analysis.

Clinton, as a seasoned politician, is the best person to clean up the mess after Bush

Frankly, I still don’t understand why being a seasoned politician makes someone a better President. Both clearly are competent, even remarkable, senators. Over the last two years, both have similar numbers of bills sponsored and passed in the Senate. Both are running effective campaigns, and either would make a solid president.

Obama snubbed the daily by saying he had every major newspaper endorsement in Texas

College newspapers clearly do not operate at the same level of competence and professionalism as major media outlets. I’m sure the egos of the writers at the Daily Texan are bruised, but they’re college students - journalists in training. They’ll get over it.

The Obama campaign was not as sympathetic as Hillary’s campaign to calls for increasing number of students seats at the UT-Austin debate

Then the campaigns should have agreed on a larger venue to begin with. Token words of sympathy don’t do a whole hell of a lot.

The country needs a proven steady hand to manage transition from the Bush years as opposed to an untested agent of hope and inspiration

Untested?

1) Give me a break. It’s not as if some guy off the street is running for President. This man has over ten years of of legislative experience (which is the same amount JFK had, FWIW).

2) Frankly, I don’t think being a career politician is a virtue. What do careers in Washington get you? Close ties to lobbyists, cynical views of what can be done, rationalization of party bickering - no thanks.