The Arizona Republic threw its support behind Hillary Clinton Tuesday evening, breaking its more than 120-year-old streak of endorsing only Republican candidates for president.
The paper’s endorsement of Clinton marks the first time that it has endorsed a Democrat for president since its circulation began in 1890.
“[W]e have never endorsed a Democrat over a Republican for president. Never. This reflects a deep philosophical appreciation for conservative ideals and Republican principles,” the paper’s editorial board explained Tuesday. “This year is different. The 2016 Republican candidate is not conservative and he is not qualified.”
The decision was simple, they wrote.
America’s problems at home and abroad require calm, clearheaded leadership. Clinton provides that; GOP nominee Donald Trump does not.
The paper’s editorial board made it clear it’s not endorsing Clinton blindly, and they highlighted her several serious shortcomings.
“Make no mistake: Hillary Clinton has flaws. She has made serious missteps,” they wrote. “Clinton’s use of a private email server while secretary of State was a mistake, as she has acknowledged. Donations to the Clinton Foundation while she was secretary of State raise concerns that donors were hoping to buy access. Though there is no evidence of wrongdoing, she should have put up a firewall.”
Still, even with all these drawbacks, the Democratic nominee is a better choice than Trump, they wrote.
“The president commands our nuclear arsenal. Trump can’t command his own rhetoric,” they wrote, adding later, “Being the leader of the free world requires a sense of propriety that Trump lacks.”
The sad thing, they continued, is that many Republicans recognize Trump’s most obvious flaws.
“But they shudder at the thought of Hillary Clinton naming Supreme Court justices. So they stick with Trump. We get that. But we ask them to see Trump for what he is — and what he is not,” the editorial board wrote.
However, they added, “Trump’s conversion to conservatism is recent and unconvincing. There is no guarantee he will name solid conservatives to the Supreme Court.”
The board also wrote they understand many voters feel disenfranchised by Washington, D.C., and that most Americans want real change brought to the nation’s capital.
Trump doesn’t offer change, they countered. Rather, he’s pandering to anger and exploiting voter discontent.
For these and so many other reasons, Trump is totally unqualified to be president, the board concluded, adding that Clinton is the only choice for 2016.
“America needs to look ahead and build a new era of prosperity for the working class. This is Hillary Clinton’s opportunity. She can reach out to those who feel left behind. She can make it clear that America sees them and will address their concerns,” the board wrote. “She can move us beyond rancor and incivility.”
The Arizona Republic breaking with its more than a century old tradition of backing only GOP presidential candidates comes just a few days after the Cincinnati Enquirer broke a tradition of its own.
The Ohio newspaper announced its endorsement of Clinton last Friday, breaking its nearly century-old streak of backing only Republican presidential candidates.
“The Enquirer has supported Republicans for president for almost a century – a tradition this editorial board doesn’t take lightly,” the paper’s board wrote at the time.
“But this is not a traditional race, and these are not traditional times. Our country needs calm, thoughtful leadership to deal with the challenges we face at home and abroad. We need a leader who will bring out the best in all Americans, not the worst,” they added.
