In the face of Republican Donald Trump’s disruptive candidacy, several local newspapers have broken with tradition this election to endorse his Democratic opponent, despite their long traditions of supporting GOP candidates.
Here are some of the newspaper editorial boards that have shocked some by abandoning their usual political party of preference because of Trump.
The Arizona Republic — 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. “[W]e have never endorsed a Democrat over a Republican for president. Never,” the paper said. “This reflects a deep philosophical appreciation for conservative ideals and Republican principles. This year is different. The 2016 Republican candidate is not conservative and he is not qualified.”
The Cincinnati Enquirer — The Cincinnati Enquirer announced its endorsement of Hillary Clinton last Friday, breaking its nearly century-old streak of backing only Republican presidential candidates. “Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton, the most unpopular pair of presidential candidates in American history, both have troubled relationships with truth and transparency,” the paper said. “Trump, despite all of his bluster about wanting to ‘make America great again,’ has exploited and expanded our internal divisions. Clinton’s arrogance and unwillingness to admit wrongdoing have made her a divisive and distrusted figure as well.”
The Dallas Morning News — The Dallas Morning News endorsed a Democrat for president earlier this month for the first time since World War II. “We’ve been critical of Clinton’s handling of certain issues in the past,” the paper said. “But unlike Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton has experience in actual governance, a record of service and a willingness to delve into real policy,” the paper said. “Resume vs. resume, judgment vs. judgment, this election is no contest.”
The Houston Chronicle — Over the summer, the Houston Chronicle made the leap and endorsed Clinton. “Any one of Trump’s less-than-sterling qualities — his erratic temperament, his dodgy business practices, his racism, his Putin-like strongman inclinations and faux-populist demagoguery, his contempt for the rule of law, his ignorance — is enough to be disqualifying,” the paper said. “His convention-speech comment, ‘I alone can fix it,’ should make every American shudder. He is, we believe, a danger to the Republic.”
