The Arizona Republic endorsed John McCain, calling him trustworthy and a “voice of credible authority.” Meanwhile, the Anchorage Daily News endorsed Barack Obama, taking pride in Gov. Sarah Palin’s vice presidential nod but judging her unready and McCain ill-equipped to deal with the financial crisis: “In a time of grave economic crisis, (Obama) displays thoughtful analysis, enlists wise counsel and operates with a cool, steady hand.”
In other home-state endorsements for the tickets, the Chicago Tribune went with Obama – the newspaper’s first-ever endorsement of a Democrat for president – and the Wilmington (Del.) News Journal went with Obama-Biden. The Chicago Sun-Times also endorsed Obama.
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What a surprise, the Anchorage Daily News is a McClatchy Kommie Pravda publication.
Regular Posted October 31, 2008 at 6:06 am | Permalink
What a surprise, the Anchorage Daily News is a McClatchy Kommie Pravda publication.
=========================================================
. . .and they can see Russia from their front porch, so, gee, they must be commie rags. Wango logic at its finest. You go, frangular.
I am surprised, McCain actually got an endorsement.
Newspapers shouldn’t endorse any candidates, that just raises suspicions that they have received money to try and sway voters. Taking away a cornerstone value in journalism of being unbiased.
(CNN) – Democrats are making a late play for Arizona as new polls show home-state Senator John McCain with a shrinking single-digit edge over Barack Obama.
A CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corporation poll released this week suggested McCain holds a 53 percent to 46 percent advantage. Other new surveys have indicated an even tighter race.
Earlier this week, the McCain campaign and the Republican National Committee paid for negative robo-calls in the state, telling voters Obama’s election “invites a major international crisis he will be unprepared to handle alone.
I bet the majority of advance voters are Republican, so I don’t doubt if McCain is in the lead right now, he will be beaten on election day when the procrastinating democrats show up in droves, weather permitting.
Gee….I am in such suspense, wondering who the eagle will endorse? They have demonstrated such restraint and fair handedness in their coverage that I have no clue who they might go for. (sarcasm off).
“I am in such suspense, wondering who the eagle will endorse?”
I’m assuming McCain. I figure they got rid of Scholfield and Crowson but retained Values Boy, converted the format to mor ads than articles, waste more space reiterating the same thing (does anyone even LOOK at 2A?), and obviously dropped the galley slaves or type setters since almost every article has typos or dropped words. It’s obviously become a extremist right-wing rag of late.
If The Wichita Eagle endorses someone for POTUS I would be more than surprised (color me shocked!) if it wasn’t McCain.
I thought this morning that they must be making some money since it’s difficult to find anything other than ads. Will we get two or three sheets of paper after the election? Most of what they print I read the day before out on “the internets.” I thought the reading of the daily newspaper would be a difficult habit to break, but the Eagle is making it easy by giving me nothing to read. If it doesn’t improve I don’t see a reason for renewing my subscription.
I’d really hate to have to bounce all over the ‘net picking up the comics I read and the trouble to find and print out the Xword and cryptoqip. Xword and crypto in the Eagle take me about a cigarette. NYTimes Xword take 5-8 smokes and I rarely smoke that much.
Is anyone posting here affected by who any paper endorses? I might be slightly if a paper does a 180 and endorses someone from the party that they generally don’t endorse. Other than that it makes little difference to me.
So maybe too much time is spent lamenting who they endorse.
Just remember, “a McClatchy Kommie Pravda publication” endorsed Tankerless Todd.
Barnie
Posted October 31, 2008 at 6:57 am | Permalink
I bet the majority of advance voters are Republican, so I don’t doubt if McCain is in the lead right now, he will be beaten on election day when the procrastinating democrats show up in droves, weather permitting.
Actually, news reports indicate the opposite – the advance voters are largely Democrats.
Actually, news reports indicate the opposite – the advance voters are largely Democrats.
That’s what assumption was it would be. Need a day or two to off-set the caging?
I suppose the endorsement of Tucson Weekly was absolutely no surprise:
President of the United States: Democrat Barack Obama
If the bungled war in Iraq, the failure to finish the job in Afghanistan, the pathetic response to Hurricane Katrina and the ever-spiraling national debt haven’t yet persuaded you that Republican rule of our country has been a complete and utter disaster, then perhaps the looming economic catastrophe that lawmakers are now trying to avoid through a $700 billion bailout will open your eyes.
It is, as they say, time for a change, America–a sentiment that even Republican John McCain shares, although he seems to be offering mostly the same-old, same-old when he talks about his actual policies on the campaign trail.
Barack Obama represents real change–a health-care proposal that does more than offer tax credits, a tax plan that does more than offer big breaks to the same wealthy Wall Street cheats who have nearly wrecked the economy with their greedy wizardry, and an international policy that may not alienate the rest of the world.
Once upon a time, we admired John McCain’s principled stand against the insanity of the Bush tax cuts, his willingness to speak out against religious bigots like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, and his sincere belief in crafting a real solution to America’s border mess. But unfortunately, as long as he remained a maverick, he wasn’t going to win the GOP nomination for the presidency of the United States. And so this man, who wants us to believe he wouldn’t put politics before the welfare of the nation, tossed aside those principles in pursuit of the White House.
The absolute worst example? His decision that of all the people in the entire nation eligible to be president, the best qualified to be his running mate was Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. This was nothing more than a political calculation designed to excite the GOP base. It certainly had nothing to do with finding the best and the brightest to take over the country should something happen to him. Palin can’t even handle an interview with the press corps–is she really able to handle negotiations with other countries?
Vote Barack Obama for president.
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/Currents/Content?oid=116378
That’s what assumption was it would be
Uh…er…That’s what assumption it was I thought it would be. (Note to self: Never type and think at the same time)
THURSDAY Tally Of Newspaper Endorsements — Obama Maintains Big Lead at 234-105
By Greg Mitchell and Dexter Hill
Published: October 30, 2008 12:25 PM ET Thursday
NEW YORK (Updated Wednesday) We’re in the homestretch! And the Obama-Biden ticket maintains its strong lead in the race for daily newspaper endorsements. The Democratic team now leads by 234 to 105, a better than 2-1 margin and an even wider spread in the circulation of those papers — see full tally below as of today. The circulation of the Obama-backing papers stands at over 21 million, compared with McCain’s 7 million.
Obama’s lopsided margin, including most of the major papers that have decided so far, is in stark contrast to John Kerry barely edging George W. Bush in endorsements in 2004 by 213 to 205. Obama, with 231, has already easily topped Kerry’s number with many more yet to be tallied.
At least 47 papers — the most recent, the Cape Cod Times — have now switched to Obama from Bush in 2004, with just four flipping to McCain (see separate story on our site). In addition, several top papers that went for Bush in 2004 have now chosen not to endorse this year, the latest being the Indianapolis Star in key swing state Indiana.
The Chicago Tribune endorsed Obama–the first Democrat that it has backed in its long history. Three of the top five dailies in deep red state Texas switched from Bush to Obama this time.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003875230
**************
In answer to Phantom’s question, I can personally say that an endorsement can change my mind if the reasoning convinces me, and an unusual endorsement might get my attention–positively or negatively.
In the end, I think for myself.
Does anyone vote based on a news paper’s endorsement?
whoops. Should have read the previous posts :-(
Get used to the Fairness Doctrine and Government Controls and Limits Placed on Free Press and Freedom of Speech.
(Look at how Obama is already blacking out certain newspapers and TV stations that he doesn’t like.)
http://www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/mediaownership050903.pdf
MEDIA OWNERSHIP LIMITS SERVE THE PUBLIC INTEREST
MEDIA MARKETS ARE ALREADY CONCENTRATED, RELAXING CURRENT RULES IS NOT JUSTIFIED
For over two decades, the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission have used Guidelines to categorize markets for purposes of merger analysis. Based on extensive theoretical and empirical evidence, the Merger Guidelines define a market with the equivalent of 10 or more equal-sized competitors as unconcentrated.1
The Guidelines define markets with the equivalent of between 6 and 10 equal-sized competitors as moderately concentrated. They define a market with the equivalent of fewer than 6 equal-sized
competitors as highly concentrated. In concentrated markets the threat of the abuse of
market power is substantial.
Although the goal of promoting diversity in media markets under the Communications Act is broader than the goal of competition under the antitrust laws, these thresholds are a useful starting point for analysis of media markets. They reveal that lax implementation of First Amendment policy and weak enforcement of antitrust policy have allowed media markets to become concentrated. 2
You do realize don’t you, that big Corporations own several newspapers.
10 Endorsements from 10 of McClatchy’s newspapers is really just 1 endorsement, for example.
And why do you IDIOTS think a Newspaper Endorsement means anything anyway?
If a newspaper is truly Credible and Objective, then they wouldn’t endorse ANY political candidate.
http://www.mondonewspapers.com/usa/owners.html
McClatchy Company
Lexington Herald Leader
Lexington, Kentucky
87 279,903
El Nuevo Herald
Miami, Florida
90 261,473
Raleigh News & Observer
Raleigh, North Carolina
65 401,991
Fresno Bee
Fresno, California
66 397,440
Tacoma News Tribune
Tacoma, Washington
83 300,441
Kansas City Star
Kansas City, Missouri
35 587,056
Charlotte Observer
Charlotte, North Carolina
44 534,303
Sacramento Bee
Sacramento, California
30 670,400
Fort Worth Star Telegram
Fort Worth, Texas
45 532,774
Miami Herald
Miami, Florida
29 676,931
MediaNews Group, Inc.
Detroit News
Detroit, Michigan
43 552,145
St. Paul Pioneer Press
Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
49 485,383
Los Angeles Daily News
Los Angeles, California
54 457,810
Contra Costa Times
Walnut Creek, California
78 319,063
Denver Post
Denver, Colorado
55 454,219
San Jose Mercury News
San Jose, California
28 680,749
Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake City, Utah
84 297,289
Newhouse Newspapers
Mobile Press Register
Mobile, Alabama
94 256,553
New Orleans Times Picayune
New Orleans, Louisiana
34 602,744
Harrisburg Patriot News
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
95 256,208
Portland Oregonian
Portland, Oregon
24 743,192
Newark Star Ledger
Newark, New Jersey
13 1,073,919
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cleveland, Ohio
21 804,387
Birmingham News
Birmingham, Alabama
73 343,951
Grand Rapids Press
Grand Rapids, Michigan
81 303,874
Syracuse Post Standard
Syracuse, New York
82 300,712
Gannett Company, Inc.
Nashville Tennessean
Nashville, Tennessee
56 452,798
Louisville Courier Journal
Louisville, Kentucky
46 511,845
Indianapolis Star
Indianapolis, Indiana
41 556,462
USA Today
McLean, Virginia 1 6,864,923
Detroit Free Press
Detroit, Michigan
20 816,325
Des Moines Register
Des Moines, Iowa
76 339,710
Cincinnati Enquirer
Cincinnati, Ohio
48 485,489
Arizona Republic
Phoenix, Arizona
14 1,055,492
Honolulu Advertiser
Honolulu, Hawaii
72 361,300
Asbury Park Press
Neptune, New Jersey
70 382,078
White Plains Journal News
White Plains, New York
71 367,536
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Rochester, New York
64 413,520
“SolDevVB” asks –
“Does anyone vote based on a news paper’s endorsement?”
To be honest, sometimes, but usually for down-ticket races, offices, and candidates I know nothing about. I have only a slight idea what a Register of Deeds does (register deeds, perhaps?) and don’t know what makes someone a good candidate for that office. Most newspapers’ endorsements contain relevant information on each candidate and the reasoning behind an endorsement.
MaxGrobnik
Posted October 31, 2008 at 10:52 am | Permalink
I worry about media consolidation too, Max (and I didn’t just start worrying this week!).
But this is kinda funny, ain’t it?:
Newhouse Newspapers
Mobile Press Register – Endorsed McCain
Mobile, Alabama
94 256,553
New Orleans Times Picayune – Endorsed Obama
New Orleans, Louisiana
34 602,744
Harrisburg Patriot News – Obama
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
95 256,208
Portland Oregonian – Obama
Portland, Oregon
24 743,192
Newark Star Ledger – Obama
Newark, New Jersey
13 1,073,919
Cleveland Plain Dealer – Obama
Cleveland, Ohio
21 804,387
Birmingham News – McCain
Birmingham, Alabama
73 343,951
Grand Rapids Press – McCain
Grand Rapids, Michigan
81 303,874
Syracuse Post Standard – Obama
Syracuse, New York
82 300,712
I guess somebody didn’t get the memo.
“Does anyone vote based on a news paper’s endorsement?”
I will read the endorseemts and see what they say. I tend to be struck more when a paper (or a person for that matter) endorses ‘the other side’ of its usual alliances. For example – Powell endorsing Obama or the Eagle endorsing any Democrat.
Most newspapers’ endorsements contain relevant information on each candidate and the reasoning behind an endorsement.
Point taken. I guess I missed the bigger picture since the thread was about pres. candidates.
Your point stands well MH.
Look like the new publisher of Ms. Sarah’s hometown paper got the memo! :)
McCain the right choice
Published on Monday, October 27, 2008 9:06 PM AKDT
Choosing the leader of the free world is an important responsibility, one we all share Nov. 4.
Electing a new president of the United States is heady stuff and should never be taken lightly. For Alaskans and voters in the Mat-Su, this year’s general election will also be historic as we have the privilege to vote on a presidential ticket that includes a local, home-grown candidate.
Since her announcement Aug. 29 as Sen. John McCain’s running mate on the Republican ticket, Gov. Sarah Palin has dominated the political headlines. From her personal life to her sudden rise into the national spotlight, America and the media cannot seem to get enough Palin.
*
While the clamor over Palin has been revealing and entertaining, it’s time for voters to focus on the choice we have to lead the United States for the next four years.
We endorse John McCain as that leader.
As many have turned a tabloid eye to McCain’s running mate in the weeks leading up to the election, we urge voters to remember that McCain, not Palin, is the Republican candidate for president, and it’s because of McCain’s proven leadership and integrity we urge Alaska and the Mat-Su to vote McCain.
Unlike his Democratic opponent Sen. Barack Obama, McCain has a track record of voting his conscience above party. If put in the Oval Office, McCain can be trusted to make a decision because he believes it is right and not because of party expectations. He’s not afraid to stand up to his own party when necessary.
In contrast, Obama has a track record of toeing the Democratic Party line more than 95 percent of the time. While Democrats may herald him as their “leader,” should Obama win the White House the nation will not have gained an independently thinking president as much as a rubber-stamp for the ultra-liberal Pelosi-bots in Congress.
Aside from domestic agendas, we’re a nation at war. America needs as its Commander-in-Chief a warrior, not a wimp. McCain has fought for his country, has a military background and the experience to know that whatever anyone thinks about our war on terror in Iraq, that defeat is not an option.
This is a crucial time for America and our troops abroad, and the world is watching to see whether our new president has the fortitude to finish the job. Nobody wants a warmonger as the leader of the free world, and McCain isn’t. But he does understand that Americans cannot continue to expect our allies to sacrifice for the common good when the president cannot back up those expectations by example.
The shakiness of the nation’s economy is another reason we need McCain in the White House.
The Democratic Party has been quick to put the blame on the leadership of George W. Bush and Republicans, hoping if they repeat it enough, people will believe it. It was the Democrats who pushed legislation through in the Clinton era that loosened the credit restrictions and allowed banks and mortgage companies to make risky loans. With a Democratic majority in Congress, and the very real possibility of a filibuster-proof Democratic Senate, our nation can ill afford a party-line president.
The world will be watching Nov. 4. Send a strong, hopeful message and vote McCain.
http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2008/10/31/opinion/editorials/doc49069bffe0041680007623.txt
For example – Powell endorsing Obama or the Eagle endorsing any Democrat.
I still remember the Republican shock and awe when the Eagle dared to endorse Dukakis (the first Democrat they’d endorsed in decades).
And George Neavoll’s response: “George Parsons can say any ******* thing he wants. It’s a free country. Our editorial speaks for itself.”
Rage, like you I’ve been concerned about media concentration for some time. To me, there are some serious anti-trust implications irrespective of the Communication Act issues to the way things have gone.
Irrespective of that, regarding the thread topic: editorial endorsements are sometimes (usually not) interesting to read, but I don’t recall relying upon one in making up my mind for whom to vote over the past 37 years.
I don’t recall relying upon one in making up my mind for whom to vote over the past 37 years.
I gotta go with Monkeyhawk on that one. If an endorsement gives me a piece of information I didn’t have on a down-ballot race, it can make a difference.
I’m indeed concerned with antitrust issues, and also the kind of thing Max was alluding to, wherein the parent corporation subtlely drives the news — and sometimes not so subtlely.
I kinda figured you’d be aware of it.
Three Reporters From McCain-Endorsing Newspapers Removed From Obama’s Plane
Reporters from three newspapers that endorsed John McCain have been told that they can’t travel aboard Barack Obama’s plane in the final days leading before Election Day.
Journalists from three major newspapers that endorsed John McCain — the Washington Times, the New York Post and the Dallas Morning News — have been booted from Barack Obama’s campaign plane for the final leg of the presidential race.
The Washington Times reported Friday that it was notified of the Obama campaign’s decision Thursday evening — even though the paper has covered Obama from the start.
Executive Editor John Solomon told FOXNews.com that the Obama campaign said it didn’t have enough seats on the plane, but “I don’t think the explanation makes sense to us.”
“We’ve been traveling since 2007 with him. … We’re a relevant newspaper — every day we break news,” Solomon said. “And to suddenly be kicked off the plane for people who haven’t covered it as aggressively or thoroughly as we are … it sort of feels unfair.”
He said the newspaper protested but was turned down again by the campaign.
(inserts Soviet Union National Anthem)
Howard Kurtz in the Washington Post:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/10/31/washington_times_loses_seat_on.html?hpid=topnews
You can judge for yourselves.
“Regular” –
There are liberal-gay-latte-drinking-socialist-Maoist-bogeymen hiding in your bedroom, too.
There are plenty of journalists from papers that endorsed McCain on the Obama campaign plane. Wall Street Journal, for example. Hell even the Fox Noise channel has additional crew on board.
And that’s the real issue. Networks and pubs have increase their coverage for this final weekend, taking up more seats for the press on the plane. Those organizations that have traveled the most, for the longest time, or have major national impact get dibs.
If you want to criticize the Obama campign, don’t whine “it isn’t fair!” like a six-year-old, ask why the campaign didn’t charter a second aircraft for the overflow of journalists. Oops. That overflow amounts to three seats; not a prudent expense.
So now the Moonie Times and Murdoch’s Folly and the Dallas Morning news will have to fly commercial!
Yeah, that’s real Stalinist suppression.
Whiner.
Regular you beat to the punch here. This is from Rush Limbaugh about the airplane and more.
There’s a story today in the paper. Hugo Chavez is doing the same thing to the media in Venezuela. This is an authoritarian on the march — and, by the way, we mentioned this at the top of the program. This is who Obama is. Look at his friends. Look at his alliances. That’s why they’re important. They shut up opponents. Look at Obama’s electoral experience. He gets rid of opponents before they can even oppose him in a race. These people play for keeps. This is authoritarianism. Okay, so you have three newspapers: The New York Post, the Dallas Morning News, and Washington Times were kicked off the Obama campaign plane today ’cause they’ve endorsed McCain. Joe the Plumber, — an average, ordinary hardly wealthy guy — was investigated by Democrats using Ohio state government computers. And you’re right about the anchor down in Florida, not only taken off the interview list, her husband was targeted for harassment because he’s a Republican. They’re going to eventually come after anybody with power who opposes them, if they have unfettered control of the government.
Dems and libs I don’t think you really have any rebuttal on this from the One.