Super choices on Tuesday
MOVED UP at the 11th hour to avoid irrelevance, the Massachusetts primary tomorrow gives voters in the state the best opportunity in years to influence the presidential nomination contest.
The Globe enthusiastically repeats its endorsement of Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination. Much has been made of the Illinois senator's personal story - his multiracial heritage, the portion of his childhood spent abroad, his work as a community organizer in Chicago. But Obama is more than a biography. Having seen something of the world, he understands that hope is nothing to scowl at - and that politics is more than the grubby struggle for tactical advantage over a primary competitor or the opposing party.
Obama offers Democratic voters a fresh start, a chance to get past the ideological struggles of the Vietnam era and the enervating partisan warfare of the 1990s. He has shown an ability to engage voters across the political spectrum. Obama would be an electrifying presence in domestic politics and around the world. His comment on Iraq in Thursday night's debate: "I don't want to just end the war, but I want to end the mindset that got us into the war in the first place," is a good summary of the promise in Obama's candidacy.
On the Republican side, we welcome the emergence of John McCain as the front-runner for the party's nomination, and we again recommend the Arizona senator to voters in Massachusetts. McCain is a decent, honorable elected official whose appetite for truth-telling is his greatest virtue - and his greatest political vulnerability. Given up for dead just a few months ago, McCain fought back to win New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Florida, and he did so without shifting positions or making disingenuous promises.
This editorial page has often disagreed with McCain's positions on a variety of issues, from abortion to tax policy to the surge in Iraq. But McCain has also been a force for moderation and common sense. He understands that, at this point, the nation's immigration laws bear little relation to the practice of immigration, and he has pushed for reforms that would close the gap. At a time when Republican politicians were loath to utter the words "global warming," McCain recognized that the phenomenon is real - and requires Washington's attention.
In some parts of Massachusetts, the presidency won't be the only public office at stake. Closer to home, we repeat our endorsements in special Democratic primaries for two open seats in the Massachusetts House. The Globe recommends Jeff Thielman for the 23d Middlesex District and Katherine Clark in the 32d Middlesex District.
Polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and officials expect a mighty turnout. Be part of it. 