Why am I posting this here? Because it is poetry to my ears. Howard Hurtz of the Washington Post writes about the editorial landscape out there this election among newspapers.
Of the many notables - The Orlando Sentinel which has backed every Republican Presidential Candidate since Richard M. Nixon in 1968. At least until now. "This president has utterly failed to fulfill our expectations," according to the Florida paper.
But the Sentinel is just one of 36 newspapers that endorsed President Bush in the 2000 campaign that have since ditched the President in favor of John Kerry. Newspapers like the LA Daily news, Chicago-Sun-Times and Memphis Commercial Appeal. To tally up the endorsements Kerry leads Bush 142 to 123 in endorsements.
Bush has won over only six papers that backed Al Gore last election. One, the Denver Post, which received 700 letters -- all of them protesting the move according to Howard Hurtz. Nine newspapers, that backed Bush last election simply decided to back no candidate.
How much any of these impact the election process is certainly debatable. They are kind of like yard signs. Newspapers don't vote, but you'd rather have more endorsements than not.
36 Papers Abandon Bush for Kerry (washingtonpost.com)
Newspapers tend to be conservative. I think this is an overall trend showing how a lot of true conservatives see that Bush is about as far from conservative as you can get. Not liberal, but definitely not conservative, either.
ReplyDeleteThese endorsements may have a small effect on Republicans that still read and think.
Matt
http://zendreaming.blogspot.com/