20. The Record

The Record is a daily newspaper based in Stockton, California, serving San Joaquin and Calaveras counties. It is owned by Ottaway Community Newspapers, which is a subsidiary of Dow Jones & Company. The Record was founded in 1895 as the Evening Record. Barack Obama is the first Democrat for president the paper has endorsed in 72 years – since FDR ran for re-election in 1936.

"For eight years, American politics has been marked by smears, fears and greed. For too long, we've practiced partisanship in Washington, not politics. This must end, but John McCain can't do it. He can't inspire, nor can he really break from a past that is breaking this nation.

McCain, who has voted consistently for deregulation, started off two weeks ago declaring the U.S. economy fundamentally sound but ended the week sounding like a populist. Who is he really? He tends to shoot from the hip and go on gut instinct. The nation cannot go through four more years of literally and figuratively shooting now and asking questions later.

But the fact is, we worry he won't have four years. If elected, at 72, he would be the oldest incoming president in U.S. history. He's in good health now, we're told, although he has withheld most of his medical records. That means Gov. Sarah Palin could very well become president.

And that brings us to McCain's most troubling trait: his judgment.

While praiseworthy for putting the first woman on a major-party presidential ticket since Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, his selection of Palin as a running mate was appalling. The first-term governor is clearly not experienced enough to serve as vice president or president if required."