After considerable lobbying efforts, the sought-after Des Moines Register endorsement was announced last night, and paper backed Hillary Clinton.
The editorial emphasized the same points the senator’s campaign has pressed, touting “her knowledge and her competence.”
The times demand results. We believe as president she’ll do what she’s always done in her life: Throw herself into the job and work hard. We believe Hillary Rodham Clinton can do great things for our country.
It sounds like the Register had narrowed it down to Clinton and Obama, and the latter drew quite a bit of praise in the endorsement editorial (Obama “demonstrates the potential to be a fine president”). But experience appears to have tipped the scales: “Obama, her chief rival, inspired our imaginations. But it was Clinton who inspired our confidence.”
The NYT highlighted the fairly intense lobbying campaign Team Clinton launched to win over the editorial board, including a full-court press: “Former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, a leading surrogate, made an unsolicited call to [Carolyn Washburn, the paper’s editor]. Calls to the board’s office were also made by former Vice President Walter F. Mondale, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Gen. Wesley Clark, each of whom had been given the task of raising a different element of Mrs. Clinton’s experience.”
It paid off. Clinton has been slipping in Iowa of late — Bill Clinton, in a silly attempt to lower expectations, said it would take a “miracle” for his wife to win the state’s caucuses — and the Register’s endorsement is exactly what the campaign needed to help stem the tide.
It’s probably worth noting, though, that the paper’s endorsement has not always translated to caucus victory — the Register also backed Edwards in ’04, Bradley in ’00, and Simon in ’88. As influential as the paper is, none won the caucuses (or the nomination).
As for the Republicans, the paper endorsed John McCain.
McCain has his flaws, too, of course. He can be hot-tempered, a trait that’s not helpful in conducting diplomacy. At 71, his age is a concern. The editorial board disagrees with him on a host of issues, especially his opposition to abortion rights and gay marriage. McCain foresees a “long, hard and difficult” deployment of troops in Iraq. The Register’s board has called for withdrawal as soon as it’s safely possible.
But with McCain, Americans would know what they’re getting. He doesn’t parse words. And on tough calls, he usually lands on the side of goodness — of compassion for illegal immigrants, of concern for the environment for future generations.
It’s not exactly glowing praise, but one assumes McCain will take it.
Also, if you read between the lines a bit, one gets the sense the Register is not at all impressed with Mike Huckabee. Eve Fairbanks noted that the endorsement editorial extends kind words to Giuliani (he “inspired the city and nation with his confident leadership after the Sept. 11 attacks”) and Romney (he “exudes executive discipline”), but would only say that the former Arkansas governor offers “homespun humor.”
“They make him sound like he should be auditioning not to be president but to replace Mr. Rogers,” Fairbanks said.