Who will the DesMoines Register endorse ?

[Tender Branson]

Sat Dec 15, 2007 at 06:34:53 AM PST

The Des Moines Register will make its endorsements in tomorrow's paper (announced today) for the presidential caucuses next month. Who will it choose? Historically, with the exception of 2000, the Register's endorsement has been incredibly influential--particularly in Des Moines and Central Iowa. In recent contested races, it has endorsed:

    1984: Walter Mondale
    1988: Paul Simon
    2000: Bill Bradley
    2004: John Edwards

While this is a small sample, Midwestern (or at least rural) backgrounds are helpful in getting the endorsement. Interestingly, both Mondale and Simon were the sons of Methodist ministers.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/12/15/91315/208/670/422420

I think it´ll be Edwards again ...

[Tender Branson]

Btw, are they endorsing one of the Republicans as well ? If so, I think its McCain.

[Meeker]

They only endorse one candidate, and unless something very odd happens it'll be a Democrat.

[War on Want]

I think it is a 60% chance for Edwards, and a 40% chance for Obama

[Lief]

50% chance of Edwards
30% chance of Obama
15% chance of Biden
5% chance of other

[Meeker]

Hotline says the buzz is that it'll be for Obama.

[Verily]

Hotline says the buzz is that it'll be for Obama.

Honestly, if it is, Iowa is probably over. The Des Moines Register's endorsement was the primary reason for Edwards' last-minute surge in 2004; endorsing Obama would prompt a fairly significant shift from him to Obama among supporters. (Endorsing Clinton would have a similar effect; endorsing Edwards, though, would just reaffirm those voters' choice.)

[Gabu]

Given their history of endorsing Mondale and Simon, it certainly doesn't seem unreasonable to think that they'd go for Obama, unless they think that Edwards has still got it.

[Vasall des Midas]

Since I have no way of knowing, I voted Gravel.

[MarkWarner08]

TNR says Edwards; some intern at DMR claims Biden got the nod.

Who knows? Walter Mondale, RFK Jr., and Bill Clinton have all called the DMR to vouch for Senator Clinton. I predict Obama, by a hair.

[M]

Obama makes the most sense.

But after seeing Carolyn Washburn and understanding exactly who these ridiculous Iowans are, I say Edwards. Plus, she loved him (and only him) at the debate. It would take the whole board overruling her to get Obama, and I don't think they would get even 15 second rebuttal time.

[All life is a blur of Republicans and meat.]

I think it is a 60% chance for Edwards, and a 40% chance for Obama

^^^^

[Aizen]

It'll be either Obama or Edwards. Hopefully it isn't wasted on Edwards

[All life is a blur of Republicans and meat.]

We should found out in an hour or two I guess.

[Meeker]

It's Clinton and McCain.

A double shocker.

[Ebowed]

Bwahahahaha.

Hillary Clinton = joke poster

Obviously she bought them off.

[Verily]

It's Clinton and McCain.

A double shocker.

Hmm? They've only ever endorsed a single candidate in the past. Are you certain? I can't find it anywhere yet.

(On other endorsements, the Boston Globe endorsed McCain and Obama a couple of hours ago.)

[Meeker]

The Register's caucus endorsements: McCain, Clinton

THE DES MOINES REGISTER

The Des Moines Register’s editorial board has endorsed Republican Sen. John McCain and Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton for the 2008 Iowa caucuses.

The Register, Iowa’s statewide newspaper, calls McCain and Clinton the candidates it believes are most competent and ready to lead.

“With dissension at home and distrust abroad, as American troops continue to fight wars on two fronts, the times call for two essential qualities in the next American president,” the Register’s editorial board concluded. “Those qualities became the paramount considerations in making endorsements for the Democratic and Republican nominees in the 2008 Iowa caucuses.

“The times call for competence. Americans want their government to work again.
The times call for readiness to lead. Americans want their country to do great things again. They’ll regain trust in their government when they see a president make that happen.”

In endorsing McCain, who was tied for fifth in the Register’s November Iowa Poll of likely caucus-goers, the newspaper’s editorial board wrote:

“Time after time, McCain has stuck to his beliefs in the face of opposition from other elected leaders and the public. He has criticized crop and ethanol subsidies during two presidential campaigns in Iowa. He bucked his party and president by opposing the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. A year ago, in the face of growing criticism, he staunchly supported President Bush’s decision to increase troop strength in Iraq.

“McCain would enter the White House with deep knowledge of national-security and foreign-policy issues. He knows war, something we believe would make him reluctant to start one. He’s also a fierce defender of civil liberties. As a survivor of torture, he has stood resolutely against it. He pledges to start rebuilding America’s image abroad. …

“The force of John McCain’s moral authority could go a long way toward restoring Americans’ trust in government and inspiring new generations to believe in the goodness and greatness of America.”

The Register’s endorsement of Clinton comes at a time when polls show she has slipped behind Sen. Barack Obama in Iowa.

“Readiness to lead sets her apart from a constellation of possible stars in her party, particularly Barack Obama, who also demonstrates the potential to be a fine president,” the newspaper’s endorsement editorial concludes. “When Obama speaks before a crowd, he can be more inspirational than Clinton. Yet, with his relative inexperience, it’s hard to feel as confident he could accomplish the daunting agenda that lies ahead.”

Register editorial page editor Carol Hunter said the six editorial board members who participated in the endorsement process disregarded the candidates’ standing in Iowa or national polls.

“We believe our job as an editorial board is to arrive at the candidate in each party we think would be the best president, whether a person is leading the polls or garnering 1 percent support,” Hunter wrote in a column that accompanied the editorials. “It’s not to predict a winner.”

In 2004, the newspaper’s endorsement of John Edwards coincided with his dramatic surge in the state. Edwards, then a North Carolina senator, moved from single digits in an Iowa poll taken in November 2003 to a second-place finish in the state’s 2004 January caucuses.

This year’s endorsements come less than three weeks before the caucuses, set for Jan. 3. The caucuses, held five days before the New Hampshire primaries, start the nation’s 2008 presidential election process.

The Register’s editorial board members who participated in the endorsement process were: Laura Hollingsworth, publisher; Carolyn Washburn, editor; Carol Hunter, editorial page editor; Linda Lantor Fandel, deputy editorial page editor; Rox Laird, editorial writer; and Andie Dominick, editorial writer.

[TheresNoMoney]

That's messed up.

[Aizen]

Hillary bought them off or something.

[Lief]

Ugh... that's horrible. This will probably allow Clinton to cut into the over 60 vote that Edward has and win. Gah.

[Verily]

Well, we can still hope that the tradition of the DMR's candidate coming in second continues.

[agcatter]

McCain and Clinton?  Was the woman who moderated the last debate on the editorial board?  If so, these choices make sense.  She was a complete joke.

[Ebowed]

I like how they say John McCain would be reluctant to start a war but then praise his support of "the surge."

Anyway, Clinton.  Ugh.  Is anyone else dreading the prospect of Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton?  Enough of this BS already.

[Meeker]

I think this is going to stop the "Clinton campaign in freefall" stories for the time being... the voters you would think this would help her win over are Edwards ones, but those Edwards supporters have by and large been with him for over a year. Hard to see very many switching over a newspaper endorsement.