The Economist goes for Obama

"There is no getting around the fact that Mr Obama’s résumé is thin for the world’s biggest job. But the exceptionally assured way in which he has run his campaign is a considerable comfort. It is not just that he has more than held his own against Mr McCain in the debates. A man who started with no money and few supporters has out-thought, out-organised and out-fought the two mightiest machines in American politics—the Clintons and the conservative right."

The foregoing is from The Economist's endorsement of Obama for President, published today. You remember The Economist -- the British-based house organ of the global economy, hardly a bedmate of Marx and Ayers and the Rev. Wright. It's the newsmagazine most often seen on the coffee tables of the world's moneyed classes.

It's quite an endorsement. The Economist admits its nervousness over what it perceives as Obama's shortcomings, saying it thinks in electing him the United States would run a considerable risk -- but not to elect him would mean a much greater one.

You can read the whole thing here.

By the way, I have been largely absent from the helm of the Reluctant Blogger in the past ten days because of a trip to Washington during which I contracted the mother of all head colds and had to postpone my return by two days because I was just too radioactive to travel.