The Obama campaign’s historic grassroots operation is hard at work – and the results are already tangible. As newspaper endorsements and early vote numbers come rolling in, one thing is clear: there is a strong and steady momentum sweeping through the country to re-elect the President.

The Numbers:

We’re outperforming our early vote margins in key states compared to 2008, and we’re ahead of where we were against John McCain – and most important, ahead of Mitt Romney. Read Jeremy Bird’s latest posts on what the numbers look like, and stay tuned for more updates from the field:

In North Carolina: http://www.barackobama.com/news/entry/inside-the-early-vote-numbers-north-carolina
In Florida: http://www.barackobama.com/news/entry/inside-the-early-vote-numbers-florida
In Ohio: http://www.barackobama.com/news/entry/inside-the-early-vote-numbers-ohio
With the Latino Vote: http://www.barackobama.com/news/entry/inside-the-early-vote-numbers-the-latino-vote
Overall: http://www.barackobama.com/news/entry/inside-the-early-vote-numbers

Endorsements:

A large number of newspapers published their endorsements to re-elect President Barack Obama this weekend. Here are just some key excertps:

Miami Herald “In the end, Mr. Obama’s policies across the board — the environment, social policy, taxes and immigration — offer a more generous vision for America. The issues he has fought for, coupled with the lingering doubts about Mr. Romney’s persona and his true intentions, make this a clear choice. In the race for president, The Miami Herald recommends BARACK OBAMA.”http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/10/26/v-print/3068819/obama-for-president.html

Toledo Blade “What Ohio voters decide about this year’s presidential election appears increasingly likely to determine its outcome for the nation. The choice between the candidates is clear and momentous. Ohioans will best serve their own interests, and those of the country, by re-electing President BARACK OBAMA.” http://www.toledoblade.com/Editorials/2012/10/28/lt-div-class-libPageBodyLinebreak-gt-Re-elect-President-Obama-lt-div-gt.print

Youngstown Vindicator “We say that not for the tired old reason that the Valley almost always votes Democratic. We say it because when the question “are you better off today than you were four years ago” is asked, the Mahoning Valley can answer yes. And President Obama has earned much of the credit.”http://www.vindy.com/news/2012/oct/28/for-president-barack-obama/

Raleigh News & Observer “Harry Truman, and virtually all presidents since, have talked about health care changes. Obama, in a painful fight, managed to go beyond talk, with a reform act that will likely put the vast majority of Americans under health insurance by 2014. Children with pre-existing conditions have been helped already, as have seniors, as have families who are allowed to keep adult children under 26 on their own policies.” http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/10/28/v-print/2440915/obama-again.html

Portsmouth (N.H.) Herald “When you cut through the Republicans’ untruths, half-truths and downright lies, it becomes clear that President Obama has helped the American people in his first term despite an opposition party whose stated purpose was his destruction. Despite the Republicans’ best efforts to tarnish him, the president remains well liked by the majority of Americans, while Congress has never been more reviled. Most Americans know in their guts that the president is on the side of working men and women. While the past four years have turned his hair gray, the president has kept his cool, has refused to be provoked and still truly believes America works best when we are united in a common cause. We trust President Obama to fight for the middle class, to continue growing jobs and educational opportunities. We trust he will work to continue increasing our energy independence while protecting the environment for future generations. We trust him to protect Medicare and Social Security and to build a health care system that expands coverage while reducing overall costs. We trust him to protect women’s health choices and to appoint rational, common-sense justices to the Supreme Court. We trust his diplomatic approach to foreign policy. We trust in President Obama’s integrity, decency and intelligence.”http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20121028-OPINION-210280320

(Minneapolis) Star Tribune “You would think that Romney, with his business smarts, would offer a coherent vision for the nation’s budget challenges. Instead, he’s conjured a magical economic plan with deep tax cuts and increased military spending. Romney would eliminate tax deductions to offset lost revenue, but he refuses to provide details. It’s simply not credible.”http://www.startribune.com/opinion/editorials/176032451.html?refer=y

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette This well may be a generation-defining moment. What will America’s future be? Will this still be a land of opportunity and freedom for all people or just for the favored few? Because we still hope, we endorse for president Barack Obama, whose heart – unlike his challenger – has not wavered nor his principles changed. http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/opinion/editorials/re-elect-obama-the-made-over-mitt-romney-is-no-alternative-659567/

Detroit Free Press “Obama’s second four-year term ought to be a no-brainer. Most two-term presidents can’t claim to have gotten as much done…. Obama’s first term proved he can deliver at home under the worst imaginable circum8stances, battling multiple crises that individually would have sunk lesser presidents; abroad, Obama has restored American credibility and influence that was frittered away by former President George W. Bush. With a refocus on job creation and long-term sustainability, his second four yearscould impress even more.” http://www.freep.com/article/20121028/OPINION01/121026117/Detroit-Free-Press-Endorsement-Top-reasons-to-re-elect-Obama-president

The Intelligencer (PA) “We should be under no illusion that Romney will govern in any way but what best serves corporations, the wealthy and their accompanying conservative base. Unlike most of his policy plans, he has made that abundantly clear…Consider the damage done by the policies of the last Republican administration…. We can’t go there again. That’s why we endorse the re-election of President Barack Obama.”

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/the_intelligencer_news/opinion/for-president-barack-obama/article_55cd6b13-634e-5d75-93c8-33df37d2dcb7.html?mode=print

The Wausau Daily Herald“Obama kept his promise to end the war in Iraq, and the U.S. is now set on a reasonable trajectory toward a 2014 pullout of Afghanistan. And as was evident in the third presidential debate, Romney’s foreign policy would bear many similarities to Obama’s. We give a significant advantage to Obama in this category.”http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/proart/?aid=2012310280052&pagerestricted=1

The Patriot-News Endorses President Obama “Many challenges face our nation and more undoubtedly are to come in the next four years. The person who should lead us through them is Barack Obama.” http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/index.ssf/2012/10/four_more_years_the_patriot-ne.html

The Keene Sentinel Endorses President Obama “Strong, steady leadership brings a confidence that allows people to take risks. Barack Obama has been doing that job for the past four years and he deserves four more years to finish what he started.”http://www.sentinelsource.com/opinion/editorial/barack-obama-is-a-steady-leader-with-an-inclusive-vision/article_a77328d1-2e24-5357-b762-42b11c0e8ef1.html

N.Y. Times“President Obama has shown a firm commitment to using government to help foster growth. He has formed sensible budget policies that are not dedicated to protecting the powerful, and has worked to save the social safety net to protect the powerless. Mr. Obama has impressive achievements despite the implacable wall of refusal erected by Congressional Republicans so intent on stopping him that they risked pushing the nation into depression,held its credit rating hostage, and hobbled economic recovery. “http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/opinion/sunday/barack-obama-for-president.html?pagewanted=all

Washington Post“Voters are left with the centerpiece of Mr. Romney’s campaign: promised tax cuts that would blow a much bigger hole in the federal budget while worsening economic inequality. His claims that he could avoid those negative effects, which defy math andwhich he refuses to back up with actual proposals, are more insulting than reassuring. By contrast, the president understands the urgency of the problems as well as anyone in the country and is committed to solving them in a balanced way. In a second term, working with an opposition that we hope would be chastened by the failure of its scorched-earth campaign against him, he is far more likely than his opponent to succeed. That makes Mr. Obama by far the superior choice.”  http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/washington-post-endorsement-four-more-years-for-president-obama/2012/10/25/6ca309a2-1965-11e2-bd10-5ff056538b7c_print.html

L.A. Times “Just as important, Obama brought a certain levelheadedness to the White House that had been in short supply during the previous eight years. While his opponents assailed him as a socialist and a Muslim and repeatedly challenged the location of his birthplace in an effort to call into question his legitimacy as president, he showed himself to be an adult, less an ideologue than a pragmatist, more cautious than cocky. Despite Republicans’ persistent obstructionism, he pushed for — and enacted — stronger safeguards against another Wall Street meltdown and abusive financial industry practices. He cut the cost of student loans, persuaded auto manufacturers to take an almost unimaginableleap in fuel efficiency by 2025 and offered a temporary reprieve from deportation to young immigrants brought into the country illegally by their parents. He ended the morally bankrupt “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that had institutionalized discrimination against gays in the military. The nation has been well served by President Obama’s steady leadership. He deserves a second term.”http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-end-president-20121021,0,7049266,print.story

Chicago Tribune “That record of pragmatism and focus in a moment of crisis, not his moves in any one policy realm, should help voters decide whether Obama spends the next four years gazing from a window at the Washington Monument — or reading and writing at his red-brick manse in sweet home Chicago…. Bolstered by his steadiness in office, cognizant of the vast unfinished business before him, we endorse the re-election of Barack Obama.” http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-26/news/chi-obama-endorsement-chicago-tribune-20121026_1_president-obama-barack-obama-tax-cuts