Thread: Which newspapers support Obama, Romney?

Which newspapers support Obama, Romney?

Brad Knickerbocker | The Christian Science Monitor | Oct 21, 2012

NOTE: This story has been updated with new endorsements added late Saturday.

In today’s media world – increasingly crowded with online sources of news, analysis, commentary, and opinionated bloggers – newspaper endorsements may not mean as much as they did when “the press” almost exclusively involved actual ink on paper.

But they’re watched closely nonetheless, and around the country newspapers are starting to weigh in on the major presidential candidates in Election 2012.

According to a tally of the top 100 newspapers by circulation by the American Presidency Project, Mitt Romney has collected five endorsements so far, and Obama has six. (The American Presidency Project is a nonpartisan online database of presidential messages, papers, documents, and other information.)

Romney’s newspaper supporters: The Dallas Morning News, The Las Vegas Review-Journal, The Orlando Sentinel, The Omaha World-Herald, and The [Nashville] Tennessean. Their total circulation is 1,053,356. Two of Romney’s backers – the Orlando and Nashville newspapers – endorsed Obama four years ago.

Obama has notched The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Seattle Times, The Sacramento Bee, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and The Salt Lake Tribune. On Sunday, The Denver Post will endorse Obama as well. (Adding Denver’s main paper brings the total circulation for papers backing Obama to 1,458,545.)

There undoubtedly will be many more newspaper endorsements before Election Day. In 2008, according to the American Presidency Project, there were 90 such endorsements, including 65 for Obama with a circulation of 16,099,774, and 25 for Republican John McCain with a circulation of 5,193,750.
Here’s a sampling of the endorsement editorials so far.

The Salt Lake Tribune:

“Nowhere has Mitt Romney’s pursuit of the presidency been more warmly welcomed or closely followed than here in Utah. The Republican nominee’s political and religious pedigrees, his adeptly bipartisan governorship of a Democratic state, and his head for business and the bottom line all inspire admiration and hope in our largely Mormon, Republican, business-friendly state…. Sadly, it is not the only Romney, as his campaign for the White House has made abundantly clear, first in his servile courtship of the tea party in order to win the nomination, and now as the party’s shape-shifting nominee. From his embrace of the party’s radical right wing, to subsequent portrayals of himself as a moderate champion of the middle class, Romney has raised the most frequently asked question of the campaign: ‘Who is this guy, really, and what in the world does he truly believe?’ ”

The Orlando Sentinel:
“We have little confidence that Obama would be more successful managing the economy and the budget in the next four years. For that reason, though we endorsed him in 2008, we are recommending Romney in this race…. With Obama in charge, the federal government came perilously close to a default last year. Now it's lurching toward another crisis with the impending arrival of massive tax hikes and spending cuts on Jan. 1…. But the core of Romney's campaign platform, his five-point plan, at least shows he understands that reviving the economy and repairing the government's balance sheet are imperative – now, not four years in the future. Romney has a strong record of leadership to run on. He built a successful business. He rescued the 2002 Winter Olympics from scandal and mismanagement. As governor of Massachusetts, he worked with a Democrat-dominated legislature to close a $3 billion budget deficit without borrowing or raising taxes, and pass the health plan that became a national model. This is Romney's time to lead, again. If he doesn't produce results – even with a hostile Senate – we'll be ready in 2016 to get behind someone else who will.”


The Denver Post:
“As President Barack Obama campaigns for re-election, it would be a stretch to say we are bullish on the entirety of his first term. There have been notable accomplishments: rescuing the nation's auto industry, passing comprehensive (though contentious) health-care reform, and delivering justice to Osama bin Laden. But those accomplishments are juxtaposed against a sluggish economy and less impressive performances in tackling the federal debt and deficits, reducing unemployment and bolstering the housing market…. though there is much in Mitt Romney's résumé to suggest he is a capable problem-solver, the Republican nominee has not presented himself as a leader who will bring his party closer to the center at a time when that is what this country needs. His comments on the 47 percent of Americans who refuse to ‘take personal responsibility and care for their lives’ were a telling insight into his views and a low point of the campaign. Obama, on the other hand, has shown throughout his term that he is a steady leader who keeps the interests of a broad array of Americans in mind.”

The Omaha World-Herald:
“President Obama’s election and his presidency have been historic. He is a black man who was elected by a solid majority to lead a nation with a history of racism. He ended a war begun on false pretenses that took thousands of American lives. He made it possible for gays to serve openly and honorably in the military. He eliminated the man responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent Americans on Sept. 11, 2001. However, for all his efforts, ranging from the stimulus package to green-energy development, to bring us out of recession, he has never found the key. He has generally made poor choices of the people needed to get the job done, such as Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. And the number of jobs created during his term simply has not kept up with demand…. Gov. Romney: This endorsement was not an easy decision. You owe the American people more details about how you will keep taxes low, preserve social programs and build up the military, all while reducing the debt. You must be your own man, and not kowtow to special interests whose millions helped propel you to the Republican nomination. Be the man who governed Massachusetts, and you’ll reunite

Which newspapers endorse Obama, Romney? | Alaska Dispatch

Detroit Paper Thanks Obama for Auto Bailout, Endorses Romney - NEWS

The following newspapers endorsed Mitt Romney for the 2012 presidential election:

[edit] Daily newspapers

Newspaper	Largest Reported Circulation	State	2008 endorsement
South Florida Sun-Sentinel [50] (Fort Lauderdale)	7005245869000000000245,869[2]	Florida	Barack Obama
New Hampshire Union Leader[51] (Manchester)	700444665000000000044,665[2]	New Hampshire	John McCain
The Arizona Republic[52] (Phoenix)	7005538579000000000538,579[2]	Arizona	John McCain
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal[53]	700444681000000000044,681[2]	Texas	John McCain
Columbus Dispatch[54]	7005264802000000000264,802[2]	Ohio	John McCain
Pittsburgh Tribune Review[55]	7005202230000000000202,230[2]	Pennsylvania	John McCain
Houston Chronicle[56]	7005916934000000000916,934[2]	Texas	Barack Obama
Fort Worth Star-Telegram[57]	7005275345000000000275,345[2]	Texas	Barack Obama
Reno Gazette-Journal[58]	700453562000000000053,562[2]	Nevada	Barack Obama
Orlando Sentinel[59]	7005288328000000000288,328[2]	Florida	Barack Obama
The Bismarck Tribune[60]	700429145000000000029,145[2]	North Dakota	John McCain
The Gazette[61] (Colorado Springs)	700484661000000000084,661[2]	Colorado	No endorsement
Dallas Morning News[62]	7005702848000000000702,848[2]	Texas	John McCain
North County Times[63] (Escondido)	700480789000000000080,789[2]	California	John McCain
Las Vegas Review-Journal[64]	7005220619000000000220,619[2]	Nevada	John McCain
Omaha World-Herald[65]	7005168403000000000168,403[2]	Nebraska	John McCain
The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register[66]	700425556000000000025,556[2]	West Virginia	John McCain
The Pueblo Chieftain[67]	700441428000000000041,428[2]	Colorado	John McCain
The Columbian[68] (Vancouver)	700451764000000000051,764[2]	Washington	Barack Obama
Longmont Times-Call[69]	700419062000000000019,062[2]	Colorado	John McCain
The Daily Tribune[70] (Royal Oak)	70036180000000000006,180[2]	Michigan	Barack Obama
Cherokee Tribune[71] (Canton)	70034771000000000004,771[2]	Georgia
The Journal (Martinsburg)[72]	700416851000000000016,851[2]	West Virginia	John McCain
Weirton Daily Times[73]	70034574000000000004,574[2]	West Virginia	John McCain
The Parkersburg News and Sentinel[74]	700428044000000000028,044[2]	West Virginia	John McCain
The Inter-Mountain[75] (Elkins)	70039037000000000009,037[2]	West Virginia	John McCain
The Tennessean[76] (Nashville)	7005216434000000000216,434[2]	Tennessee	Barack Obama
The Messenger[77] (Fort Dodge)	700415237000000000015,237[2]	Iowa	John McCain
The Tampa Tribune[78]	7005262369000000000262,369[2]	Florida	John McCain
The Daily News[79] (Galveston)		Texas	John McCain
The Sun[80] (Lowell)	700448213000000000048,213[2]	Massachusetts	John McCain
The Spokesman-Review[81]	700487694000000000087,694[2]	Washington	John McCain
Sentinel & Enterprise[82] (Fitchburg)	700415031000000000015,031[2]	Massachusetts	Barack Obama
U-T San Diego[83]	7005296331000000000296,331[2]	California	John McCain
Boston Herald[84]	7005108548000000000108,548[2]	Massachusetts	John McCain
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel[85]	700426654000000000026,654[2]	Colorado	John McCain
Estherville Daily News[86]		Iowa
Casper Star-Tribune[87]	700424791000000000024,791[2]	Wyoming	Barack Obama
Bluefield Daily Telegraph[88]	700416138000000000016,138[2]	West Virginia	Barack Obama
Billings Gazette[89]	700444937000000000044,937[2]	Montana	John McCain
Duluth News Tribune[90]		Minnesota	John McCain
Grand Rapids Press[91]	7005149667000000000149,667[2]	Michigan	John McCain
Charleston Daily Mail[92]	700417879000000000017,879[2]	West Virginia	John McCain
The Star-Herald[93] (Scottsbluff)	700412864000000000012,864[2]	Nebraska
The Detroit News[94]	7005133508000000000133,508[2]	Michigan	John McCain
New York Post[95]	7005555327000000000555,327[2]	New York	John McCain
The Washington Examiner[96]		District of Columbia	John McCain

[edit] Weekly/Monthly newspapers

Newspaper	State	2008 endorsement
The New York Observer[97]	New York	Barack Obama
Chicago Jewish Star[98] (x2 monthly)	Illinois	John McCain[99]

The following newspapers endorsed Barack Obama for the 2012 presidential election:
[edit] Daily newspapers

Newspaper	Largest Reported Circulation	State	2008 endorsement
Los Angeles Times[1]	7005512744000000000512,744[2]	California	Barack Obama
The Santa Fe New Mexican[3]	700420781000000000020,781[2]	New Mexico	Barack Obama
Arizona Daily Star[4] (Tucson)	7005154715000000000154,715[2]	Arizona	Barack Obama
Asheville Citizen-Times[5]	700448653000000000048,653[2]	North Carolina	Barack Obama
The Durango Herald[6]	70037491000000000007,491[2]	Colorado	Barack Obama
Akron Beacon Journal[7]	7005122598000000000122,598[2]	Ohio	Barack Obama
Daily Astorian[8]	70038000000000000008,000[9]	Oregon	Barack Obama
Daily Camera[10] (Boulder)	700432753000000000032,753[2]	Colorado	Barack Obama
Denver Post[11]	7005595363000000000595,363[2]	Colorado	Barack Obama
Las Cruces Sun-News[12]	700422666000000000022,666[13]	New Mexico	Barack Obama
Lincoln Journal Star[14]	700468816000000000068,816[2]	Nebraska	John McCain
Philadelphia Inquirer[15]	7005517310000000000517,310[2]	Pennsylvania	Barack Obama
Seattle Times[16]	7005346589000000000346,589[2]	Washington	Barack Obama
St. Louis Post-Dispatch[17]	7005333529000000000333,529[2]	Missouri	Barack Obama
Sacramento Bee[18]	7005271610000000000271,610[2]	California	Barack Obama
San Francisco Examiner[19]	7005255527000000000255,527[20]	California	John McCain
The Charleston Gazette[21]	700466633000000000066,633[2]	West Virginia	Barack Obama
Winston-Salem Journal[22]	700474066000000000074,066[2]	North Carolina	John McCain
The Herald[23] (Everett)	700450795000000000050,795[2]	Washington	No endorsement
The Salt Lake Tribune[24]	7005140628000000000140,628[2]	Utah	Barack Obama
Tampa Bay Times[25] (St. Petersburg)	7005432202000000000432,202[2]	Florida	Barack Obama
Muskegon Chronicle[26]	700434179000000000034,179[2]	Michigan	Barack Obama
The Plain Dealer[27] (Cleveland)	7005440968000000000440,968[2]	Ohio	Barack Obama
The Charlotte Observer[28]	7005216862000000000216,862[2]	North Carolina	Barack Obama
San Antonio Express-News[29]	7005353572000000000353,572[2]	Texas	John McCain
The Star-Ledger[30] (Newark)	7005413472000000000413,472[2]	New Jersey	Barack Obama
La Opinión[31] (Los Angeles)	700495148000000000095,148[2]	California
The Washington Post[32]	7005507615000000000507,615[2]	Washington, DC	Barack Obama

[edit] Weekly newspapers

Newspaper	Largest Reported Circulation	State	2008 endorsement
The Stranger[33] (Seattle)	700467999000000000067,999[34]	Washington	Barack Obama
Arkansas Times[35] (Little Rock)	700426033000000000026,033[36]	Arkansas	Barack Obama
Aurora Sentinel[37]		Colorado	Barack Obama
The Flint Journal[38]	700466622000000000066,622[2]	Michigan	Barack Obama
Montclair Times[39]		New Jersey
Eugene Weekly[40]	700437576000000000037,576[41]	Oregon	Barack Obama
Northwest Asian Weekly[42]		Washington
The Austin Chronicle[43]		Texas	Barack Obama
The Capital Times[44] (Madison)	online (printed x2 weekly)	Wisconsin	Barack Obama

[edit] Magazines

Magazine	Largest Reported Circulation	State	2008 endorsement
The New Yorker[45]	70061043792000000001,043,792[46]	New York	Barack Obama

[edit] College and university newspapers

Newspaper	Institution	Largest Reported Circulation	State	2008 endorsement
Columbia Daily Spectator[47]	Columbia University	70038000000000000008,000[48]	New York	Barack Obama
Central Michigan Life[49]	Central Michigan University	700413500000000000013,500	Michigan	Barack Obama

[edit]

Newspaper endorsements in the United States presidential election, 2012 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia a

Gary Johnson[edit] Daily newspapers

Newspaper	Largest Reported Circulation	State	2008 endorsement
Chattanooga Times Free Press (Free Press editorial) [100]	75,336	Tennessee	John McCain

[edit] Weekly newspapers

Newspaper	State	2008 endorsement
Saint Joseph Telegraph[101]	Missouri	No endorsement

[edit] No endorsement

• Chicago Sun-Times -- discontinued endorsing candidates. Endorsed Barack Obama in 2008.^[102]
• Knoxville News Sentinel -- discontinued endorsing presidential candidates. Endorsed John McCain in 2008.^[103]
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel -- decided to refrain from endorsing presidential or Senate candidates in 2012. Endorsed Barack Obama in 2008 and John Kerry in 2004, but did not endorse any candidate in 2000. ^[104]
• The Oregonian - Endorsed Barack Obama in 2008.^[105]

[edit]

Newspaper endorsements in the United States presidential election, 2012 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Des Moines Register Endorses Romney

Fox News (blog) - ‎33 minutes ago

LAND O' LAKES, Fla. - For the first time in 40 years, Iowa's largest and most influential newspaper is backing a Republican for president.

11/04/2012 @ 4:06PM

If Newspaper Endorsements Matter, Romney Wins

If some states matter more than others in the race for president, than shouldn’t it stand to reason that some newspaper endorsements matter more than others, too? If you’re an undecided voter, wondering which way to go, in, say Ohio (the most pivotal state in this year’s election by almost everyone’s accounting), your crucial opinion might be swayed by, say, who the Cleveland Plain Dealer or Cincinnati Enquirer thinks should win.

If that was the case, Romney should be icing the champagne right now.

Though Obama leads in endorsements by the 100 largest newspapers (by circulation) in the U.S. right now by 35-29 (10 abstentions), according to The American Presidency Project , when it comes to papers in those critical swing states, Romney wallops Obama 14-5 (many of those papers don’t make the list of the top 100, and some state papers don’t run endorsements), and 5-1 in terms of states.
Breaking it down a bit further:

• FLORIDA | Romney: 4, Obama: 1 (29 Electoral Votes)
• OHIO | Obama: 3, Romney: 2 (18 Electoral Votes)
• VIRGINIA | Romney 1 (13 Electoral Votes)
• WISCONSIN | Romney, 1 (10 Electoral Votes)
• COLORADO | Romney 2, Obama 1 (9 Electoral Votes)
• IOWA | Romney 4, Obama 0 (6 Electoral Votes)

So if swing-state papers are so one-sided in backing Romney, why are the polls so stubbornly stuck, and, at least according to Nate Silver and more than a few betting sites, pointing overwhelmingly toward an Obama victory? Must be that papers just don’t matter much when it comes to picking candidates (and maybe never did).

Numbers from the Newspaper Association of America show daily newspaper circulation down by more than 7 million readers over the past decade or so, and most people under the age of 35 don’t take a daily paper anymore and never will. They’re just as likely to have their views shaped by MSNBC or Fox or The New York Times or HuffPo or Politico as they are by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (which stopped running endorsements this year). The opposite is true for Senate or House races, or races for governor or parks commissioner, of course.

Still, these endorsements must count for something. The candidates still ask for them.

President Obama was pretty direct in asking the The Des Moines Register’s editors for their endorsement, for instance, according to a transcript released by the campaign. “You’ll feel better when you give it,” he said with a chuckle.

For the record, they didn’t.

Here’s a closer look at who the major papers in each of those key battleground states endorsed, and why:
FLORIDA | Romney: 4, Obama:1
Orlando Sentinel
Endorsed: Romney
The Gist: “We have little confidence that Obama would be more successful managing the economy and the budget in the next four years. For that reason, though we endorsed him in 2008, we are recommending Romney in this race.”
Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel
Endorsed: Romney
The Gist: “We believe Romney’s past performance is a predictor of his future behavior. He’s proven himself to be a successful businessman.”
Tampa Tribune
Endorsed: Romney
The Gist: “A successful executive in the public and private sector, Romney is a committed capitalist who understands that the nation’s prosperity is driven by free enterprise, not government.”
Miami Herald
Endorsed: Obama
The Gist: “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 Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville)
Endorsed: Romney
The Gist: “What this nation needs is a turnaround expert.”
OHIO | Obama: 3, Romney: 2
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Endorsed: Obama
The Gist: “He has led the nation back from the brink of depression. He ordered the risky attack inside Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden.”
Cincinnati Enquirer
Endorsed: Romney
The Gist: “President Barack Obama has had four years to overcome the job losses of the Great Recession he inherited, but the recovery has been too slow and too weak.”
Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch
Endorsement: Romney
The Gist: “After nearly four years of economic stagnation, massive unemployment, record-setting debt and government intrusions into the economy that have paralyzed the private sector, the United States needs a new direction.”
Toledo Blade
Endorsed: Obama
The Gist: “A second term for President Barack Obama would be a better outcome for Ohio, Michigan, and the rest of the country — and would offer more hopeful prospects for the next four years — than would his replacement by his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney.”
Akron Beacon Journal
Endorsed: Obama
The Gist: “What matters are his real accomplishments and the direction he proposes for the years ahead. On both those counts, he has succeeded far more than his critics contend.”
VIRGINIA | Romney, 1 (Only 1 major paper made an endorsement this year)
Richmond Times Dispatch
Endorsement: Romney
The Gist: “He will not destroy Medicare. And he will not lie to the American people every time he opens his mouth.”
WISCONSIN | Romney, 1
(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Stopped Running Endorsements, Sadly)
Green Bay Press Gazette
Endorsed: Romney
The Gist: “This nation cannot wait four more years to see if Obama’s policies will work. It needs to turn to someone who has a proven track record in the business community and will offer the steady hand to a teetering economy.”
COLORADO | Romney 2, Obama 1
Denver Post
Endorsement: Obama
The Gist: “Obama’s record of accomplishment under trying circumstances and his blueprint for a second term make him the best pick to move the nation forward.”
Pueblo Chieftain
Endorsement: Romney
The Gist: There has to be a better way, and Mitt Romney is pointing to that way.
Grand Junction Sentinel
Endorsement: Romney
The Gist: No idea. They have a paywall, so I couldn’t read it.
IOWA | Romeny 4, Obama 0
Des Moines Register
Endorsed: Romney
The Gist: “There is not a lot of difference between the two candidates’ short-term economic plans, as both are heavy on a promise of tax cuts for the middle class but short on details. Romney’s plan, however, goes beyond helping the middle class with tax breaks.”
Quad City Times
Endorsement: Romney
The Gist: “The change that we’d hoped would elevate our economy wound up woefully short. The presidential gambit to place health-care reform ahead of economic recovery jeopardized both.”
The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)
Endorsement: Romney
The Gist: “We think Mitt Romney’s business savvy, understanding of the nation and world’s financial ins and outs, and leadership skills proven in public venues are more likely to ignite a robust economic recovery in the next four years.”
Sioux City Journal
Endorsement: Romney
The Gist: “In Romney… we see a man possessed of successful, executive decision-making experience in both the private and public sectors who understands economics and who would apply necessary conservative principles to meeting the country’s fiscal challenges.”

If Newspaper Endorsements Matter, Romney Wins - Forbes

New York Daily News joins growing number of newspapers switching endorsement to Romney

Published November 04, 2012
FoxNews.com

One of New York’s most influential and traditionally Democratic media organizations pulled a stunner Sunday when it reversed its 2008 endorsement of Barack Obama to join the New York Post in endorsing Mitt Romney.

“Four years ago, the Daily News endorsed Obama, seeing a historic figure whose intelligence, political skills and empathy with common folk positioned him to build on the small practical experience he would bring to the world’s toughest job,” the endorsement in part states.

“We valued Obama’s pledge to govern with bold pragmatism and bipartisanship. The hopes of those days went unfulfilled.”

The endorsement also ticks off a list of reasons for why the daily tabloid is backing Romney in 2012 – including smaller paychecks, fewer jobs and higher subway fares and gasoline prices.

“America’s heart, soul, brains and muscle -- the middle- and working-class people who make this nation great -- have been beset for too long by sapping economic decline,” the editorial continues. “So, too, (have) New York breadwinners and families.”

Beyond the rhetoric, the paper backs up its decision with a salvo of numbers after the 2008 financial crisis – including a 7.9 percent national jobless rate and nine million fewer jobs.

The paper also points out the hometown crowd, with some of the most well-educated and well-paid residents in the country not spared.
The median household income for a New York family dropped by $54 a week over that period, the paper also points out.

The Daily News joins nearly a dozen other major U.S. newspapers in switching endorsements from Obama to Romney, according to the University of California, Santa Barbara’s American Presidency Project.

Only one newspaper, The San Antonio Express-News, which endorsed the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, Arizona Sen. John McCain, has switched to endorsing Obama, according the survey.

The 11 papers, according the study, that also switched to Romney are:
The New York Daily News
Long Island Newsday
Houston Chronicle
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Orlando Sentinel
Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
Nashville Tennessean
Des Moines Register
Illinois Daily Herald
Los Angeles Daily News
Los Angeles Press-Telegram

New York Daily News joins growing number of newspapers switching endorsement to Romney | Fox News