The New York Times - which earlier this year endorsed New York Senator Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination - on Thursday announced its endorsement for Democrat Barack Obama for US president.

The endorsement news, to be published in Friday editions of the newspaper, was posted on the Times’ Internet site on Thursday evening. It said that Obama had “met challenge after challenge, growing as a leader and putting real flesh on his early promises of hope and change.”

The Times noted that Obama has drawn in legions of new voters with powerful messages of hope and possibility and calls for shared sacrifice and social responsibility. Saying that the Illinois Senator “has shown a cool head and sound judgment”, the newspaper added: “We believe he has the will and the ability to forge the broad political consensus that is essential to finding solutions to this nation's problems.”

The newspaper that chose Republican John McCain as the best Republican nominee in the primaries, declared that the choice between Obama and McCain was easy. It added that McCain has “spent the last coins of his reputation for principle and sound judgment” to placate the limitless demands and narrow vision of the far-right wing.”

The Times’ endorsement of Obama was not unexpected, the newspaper already has a precedent of endorsing Democrats – it endorsed Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004. However, such endorsements are considered to have little influence on voters, especially in presidential races.

The Editor & Publisher magazine opines Obama is outpacing McCain in newspaper endorsements by about three to one, even winning the nod of the Chicago Tribune, which has for the first time endorsed a Democrat for President.