Philly Pride

At least for today, the Philadelphia Daily News is my favorite hometown paper.

No, it's not because they've finally fired clueless-but-combative Phillies beat writer Marcus Hayes (after all, how can you ask more from a scribbler than you get from the team's manager?); they didn't. But the PDN did make a presidential endorsement today--the first in the nation, in fact:

...this newspaper, the first in the nation, endorses John Kerry for president. Unlike the current White House occupant, Kerry can lead America to a brighter, better future. He has shown the personal courage, compassion, intellect and skill to lead this country in a time of war abroad and economic troubles at home. He is a serious man for a serious time.

Better yet, the News lays out the rationale for their early call: Pennsylvania's pivotal importance in this year's election:

Because this race promises to be close and Pennsylvania is one of 18 swing states that can go to either candidate. For Kerry supporters to prevail they must do more than just vote, they must bring a ringer into this contest: the more than a million people in the region who did not vote in the last presidential election. We believe these non-voters - who will have to be mobilized over the next few months - are the key to victory...

The goal is to find among those 4 million non-voters new Kerry supporters and get them to register by Oct. 4 and then vote on Nov. 2. In this goal, the Philadelphia region is crucial.

While the rest of the state tilts heavily Republican, Philadelphia has a rich vein of Democratic votes, which has not always been mined. It's because of Philadelphia voters that Clinton and Gore have won the state in the past.

I can't think of too many times I've been prouder to be a Philadelphian. Now if only they would just put Bill Conlin out to pasture...