I already see what's happening, so I'm taking a pre-emptive strike. Instead of starting a thread for every newspaper that that gives an endorsement, just post them here. Here's a list btw. I'll try and find something more up to date. Daily Endorsement Tally: Kerry Picks up 27 Papers, Owns Huge Lead By Greg Mitchell Published: October 17, 2004 11:00 AM EDT NEW YORK Senator John Kerry picked up a raft of newspaper endorsements on Sunday, widening his lead over President George W. Bush in this area. Kerry gained the editorial backing of at least 27 papers, with Bush winning the support of nine that we know of, giving Kerry the lead by 42-22 in E&P's exclusive tally. He has many more large papers on his side, maintaining his "circulation edge" at better than 3-1: approximately 8 million to 2.5 million (we will post a complete tally later today). Among his new supporters were four papers that had backed Bush in 2000: the Bradenton Herald in Florida, the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colorado and the Daily-Herald in Arlington Heights, Ill., and Muskegon (MI) Chronicle. However, Bush did pick up the endorsement of the Chicago Tribune, Arizona Republic, the Indianapolis Star and The Dallas Morning News. Among the papers endorsing Kerry today were newspapers in key swing states: The Miami Herald, St. Petersburg Times, Palm Beach Post, Daytona Beach News Journal and Bradenton Herald in Florida; the Minneapolis Star-Tribune in Minnesota; the Daily Camera in Colorado, the Dayton Daily News and Akron Beacon-Journal in Ohio, and Duluth (Minn.) News-Tribune. He also got the nod from major papers in states already friendly to him: The New York Times, The Boston Globe, San Jose Mercury-News, San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee and Modesto Bee. Other papers backing him were the Kansas City Star, the Roanoke (Va.) Times, the Grand Fords (ND) Herald, Charlotte Observer, the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader, the Mail-Tribune in Medford, Oregon, and the Press-Democrat in Santa Rosa, CA. Clearly, many papers in the Knight Ridder and McClatchy chains have rallied to his side. Besides the big city papers already mentioned, Bush won The Freelance-Star in Fredericksburg, Va., the York Daily Record in Pennsylvania, The Repository in Canton, Ohio, The Times-Republic in New Philadelphia, Ohio, and the New York Sun. The Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal, which has backed Republicans since 1968, declared it would not endorse this year, given the choices. Many of the editorials backing Kerry denounced the incumbent in unusually harsh language. The Miami Herald accused Bush of "narrow partisanship." Up the coast, the Daytona paper cited his "embarrassing performance." The Sacramento Bee said, "The nation has paid a steep price for Bush's arrogance - mounting deficits and debt at home, loss of standing and effectiveness abroad...." For The New York Times, his presidency has simply been "disastrous." In supporting Bush, the York Daily Record nevertheless raised a concern: "We hope President Bush will renew his commitment to compassionate conservatism on domestic issues. The war on terrorism should be no excuse to impose a hard-line conservative agenda on such a closely divided citizenry." Th Indianapolis Star called the two candidates "unsatisfying" and The Chicago Tribune, in backing Bush, also seemed a bit torn: "There is much the current president could have done differently over the last four years. There are lessons he needs to have learned. And there are reasons--apart from the global perils likely to dominate the next presidency--to recommend either of these two good candidates." The Dallas Morning News was more enthusiastic, however, declaring: "Americans want and need a president with a backbone steeled by courage and a heart tendered by compassion." The editors said they were "disappointed" by his failure to rein in domestic spending, the deaths of American soldiers in Iraq, and strained relationships abroad. But "this is not the time for America to go wobbly," they added. "This is not the time for Americans to abandon their president." http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000673213 They don't have a list like this that's more recent, I'm still looking. Our current tally, with latest circulation numbers, follows. "G" and "B" refer to whether the paper endorsed Gore or Bush in 2000: JOHN KERRY The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (G): 418,323 The Philadelphia Inquirer (G): 387.692 Detroit Free Press (G): 354,581 The Oregonian (Portland) (B): 342,040 St. Louis Post-Dispatch (G): 281,198 The Seattle Times (B): 237,303 Seattle Post-Intelligencer (G): 150,901 The Philadelphia Daily News: 139,983 Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) (G): 109,592 Portland Press Herald (Maine) (G): 73,211 The Day (New London, Conn.) (B): 39,553 Total Pro-Kerry Daily Circ: 2,534,377 GEORGE W. BUSH Las Vegas Review-Journal (B): 170,061 Tulsa World (Okla.) (B): 139,383 Mobile (Ala.) Register (B): 100,244 The Columbian (Vancouver, Wash.) (B): 51,498 The Pueblo (Colo.) Chieftain: 52,208 Amarillo (Texas) Globe-News (B): 51,105 The Sun (Lowell, Mass.) (B): 50,369 The Courier (Findlay, Ohio) (B): 22,319 Total Pro-Bush Daily Circ: 637,187
Interesting... http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041018/ap_on_el_pr/campaign_rdp&cid=694&ncid=716 I'd be interested to see the number of papers that change their endorsement from 2000. We know Bush's hometown paper, the Lone Star ICONOCLAST has.
You're kidding, right? The Lone Star Iconoclast. That's funny. I should sweat the endorsement of a paper that puts the endoresement right next to the details on the newest calf at the Jones' farm? Riiiiiiiiiight.
In other breaking news........... Sinclair Broadcasting has thrown its considerable weight behind Dick Cheney and his running mate.
Newspapers have an editorial section for commentary (referred to as the op-ed or Opinion-Editorial section). All papers do. The columnists who arre actually employed by the paper - not the syndicated one's - sit on an editorial board along with some of the paper's section editors. They interview candidates and review issues and release their FOR or AGAINST columns prior to election day on them. These usually have no specific author or will be authored by the editor of the op-ed section. This section of the paper traditionally carries no advertising to keep it free from influence and is designed as strictly an area for running opinion columns, NOT news stories.
Newspapers always lean to the left, no bid deal. I just can't tell who is going to win this election. DD
I keep telling myself that Bush will win. That way, if Kerry wins, it will be a very pleasant surprise.
As opposed to Steven Spielberg, et al...otherwise known (according to Kerry) as the heart of the Democratic Party. Wow...that's about all I need to hear. And we thought the Republicans were the party of the rich.
well you see here, i just found it ironic cuz it's usually libruhls like me who make fun of small towns such as Crawford and it's usually conservatives like you who defend them by calling them the "the heart of america" while calling us "elitists" for doing so. And the Republicans are the party of the rich. As Bushy said: "What an impressive crowd: the haves, and the have-mores. Some people call you the elite, I call you my base."
since we're doing this, can we make a thread for the "High profile democrat/republican for candidate of opposing party" threads? those type of threads don't seem to garner much except for ad hominem attacks from the opposing side with "well so-and-so is an idiot, I'm glad he's on that side" responses.
Does anyone have data on how much these newspaper endorsment matter? It would make sense that major newspapers are backing Kerry more. A lot of Bush's support comes from rural conservative areas, whereas metropolitan population(where newspapers have the most circulation) generallly leans to the left. Heck, didn't even Houston/Dallas voted for Gore in the 2000 election? Yet Texas total was overwhelmingly Bush.
DD, I know you live in Austin, home of the Austin American-Statesman, which will endorse every Democrat they think they can get away with, and not lose subscribers (bless 'em), but tell that to the Dallas Morning News or the Washington Times. Hey, Kerry is going to win. Relax. (as if I'm relaxing!) Oh, and the way Jeff described things is correct, to the best of my knowledge. Newspapers have always, since Revolutionary days in this country, played their role in our political process, by giving their opinions, and trying to print stories that might be of benefit to those they support. As Walter Cronkite, who frequents our fair Austin sometimes to visit his daughter, might say, "And that's the way it is." Keep D&D Civil!!
Today the Houston Chronicle endorsed Bush. They also endorsed him in 2000. Why do conservatives here always complain about the Chronicle's supposed left-leaning bias? http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/editorial/2862496
And yet again...the Spielbergs and Cruises of the world are the heart of the Democratic Party. Face it, those people have so much money, they simply live on a different planet that the rest of us. And they are the recognized (by John Kerry) heart of the Democratic Party. If so, then the party is totally out of whack.
