DETROIT, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- The Detroit Free press endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama on Sunday, calling the Illinois senator the stronger candidate.

The newspaper said the choice Americans face in the Nov. 4 presidential election is one between Obama, "who has shown a knack for developing well-reasoned solutions to the nation's many critical problems," and John McCain, "a genuine American war hero with a creditable streak of political independence who has shown himself to be erratic, impulsive and bullheaded as a political leader."


In its endorsement, the Free Press said the nation needs change, and Obama is "not only proposing better ones but is also better suited to the job of getting them done."

Despite his short time in public office, Obama has outlined a "progressive, pragmatic vision for this country, keyed to opportunities for the middle class, and demonstrated time and again that his approach to things is grounded in deliberation and reflection," the editorial said.

The Free Press noted that it endorsed McCain for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000 and this year.

"The McCain running against Obama in this general election has not been the same candidate; he has been nastier, less consistent and, since his acceptance speech at the GOP National Convention, frankly uninspiring," the newspaper said.