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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Swing state's newspaper backs Romney | Swing state's newspaper backs Romney |
| (4 months later) | |
| The biggest paper in Iowa, the Des Moines Register, has backed Mitt Romney for the White House, the first surprise among the endorsements from US papers. | The biggest paper in Iowa, the Des Moines Register, has backed Mitt Romney for the White House, the first surprise among the endorsements from US papers. |
| It is the first time since 1972 that the Des Moines Register has endorsed a Republican – the last was an incumbent president, Richard Nixon. | It is the first time since 1972 that the Des Moines Register has endorsed a Republican – the last was an incumbent president, Richard Nixon. |
| The New York Times, to no one's surprise, came out at the weekend in favour of Obama as did, earlier, the Miami Herald. | The New York Times, to no one's surprise, came out at the weekend in favour of Obama as did, earlier, the Miami Herald. |
| Almost every day the campaigns send out press releases announcing the latest endorsement. Within half an hour on Sunday, the Obama team sent out two press releases announcing the endorsement of the Keene Sentinel and the Portsmouth Herald while the Romney team issued four about backing from the Gazette in Cedar Rapids, the Quad-City Times, the Richmond-Times Dispatch and the Cincinnati Enquirer. | Almost every day the campaigns send out press releases announcing the latest endorsement. Within half an hour on Sunday, the Obama team sent out two press releases announcing the endorsement of the Keene Sentinel and the Portsmouth Herald while the Romney team issued four about backing from the Gazette in Cedar Rapids, the Quad-City Times, the Richmond-Times Dispatch and the Cincinnati Enquirer. |
| But polling and analysis over the last two decades suggest that the impact of newspaper endorsements on voters is almost negligible, with most readers unlikely to be influenced or, in many cases, even aware of a paper's stance. | But polling and analysis over the last two decades suggest that the impact of newspaper endorsements on voters is almost negligible, with most readers unlikely to be influenced or, in many cases, even aware of a paper's stance. |
| The importance of the Des Moines Register, apart from a blow to the Obama campaign team's morale locally, is mainly symbolic. | The importance of the Des Moines Register, apart from a blow to the Obama campaign team's morale locally, is mainly symbolic. |
| The Des Moines Register has a much bigger influence in the political world than its size would suggest because Iowa is not only the first stop in the primaries and caucuses but is also a swing state. | The Des Moines Register has a much bigger influence in the political world than its size would suggest because Iowa is not only the first stop in the primaries and caucuses but is also a swing state. |
| It is particularly galling for Obama because it is the state where his victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2008 caucus propelled him to national prominence and gave him credibility. | It is particularly galling for Obama because it is the state where his victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2008 caucus propelled him to national prominence and gave him credibility. |
| In spite of a call to the Des Moines Register by Obama last week – initially off-the-record – the paper went ahead with its backing of Romney. It reminded readers it had endorsed Romney for the Republican presidential nomination earlier this year. | In spite of a call to the Des Moines Register by Obama last week – initially off-the-record – the paper went ahead with its backing of Romney. It reminded readers it had endorsed Romney for the Republican presidential nomination earlier this year. |
| "Our discussion repeatedly circled back to the nation's single most important challenge: pulling the economy out of the doldrums, getting more Americans back in the workforce in meaningful jobs with promising futures, and getting the federal government on a track to balance the budget in a bipartisan manner that the country demands," the paper said. | "Our discussion repeatedly circled back to the nation's single most important challenge: pulling the economy out of the doldrums, getting more Americans back in the workforce in meaningful jobs with promising futures, and getting the federal government on a track to balance the budget in a bipartisan manner that the country demands," the paper said. |
| "Which candidate could forge the compromises in Congress to achieve these goals? When the question is framed in those terms, Mitt Romney emerges the stronger candidate." | "Which candidate could forge the compromises in Congress to achieve these goals? When the question is framed in those terms, Mitt Romney emerges the stronger candidate." |
| Defending its choice, the paper – which is a daily, morning read – said that over the last century its endorsements have been evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. | Defending its choice, the paper – which is a daily, morning read – said that over the last century its endorsements have been evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. |
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