As we said, this is more than a choice between two individuals. America is locked in a struggle over what it will be as a mature nation.
A country built on rugged individualism finds itself increasingly under the thumb of a federal government that is ever expanding its reach into the lives of its citizens.
Obama has proved himself a disciple of the doctrine that for every problem there's a government solution.
Romney, by contrast, embraces individual initiative and entrepreneurship. He would turn back the encroachment of the bureaucracy into the private sector.
To the paper's credit, it does praise Obama for his support of the automobile industry.
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The Duluth News Tribune wants a change in the White House:
Yes, Obama inherited a declining economy, a pair of expensive foreign wars and Republicans in Congress who shamefully vowed to obstruct rather than work with him. But his party was in the majority in both the Senate and the House his first two years. And, “Other presidents have succeeded even with the other party controlling Capitol Hill,” as the Orlando Sentinel pointed out in an editorial this month. “Democrat Bill Clinton presided over an economic boom and balanced the budget working with Republicans. Leaders find a way.”_____
Obama hasn’t.
In February 2009, just two months into his presidency, Obama gave a televised interview with NBC News in which he famously — or infamously for him — said: “I will be held accountable. ... If I don’t have this done in three years then there’s going to be a one-term proposition.”
On Nov. 6, voters from Northwestern Wisconsin, Northeastern Minnesota and elsewhere across the nation can hold the president accountable. He didn’t get it done. The results and numbers make clear Washington is ripe for new leadership and a more-promising direction.
The San Diego Union Tribune, keeping with tradition, endorses Romney.
There is no editorial piece, just his name.
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Another Republican paper, the Boston Herald, came out for Mitt:
The simple fact is that this nation can’t afford four more years of Barack Obama, four more years of his divisive class warfare rhetoric, four more years of his Chicago-style eco-cronyism and four more years of an administration that will lie and obfuscate — even about the death of a U.S. ambassador — to save its sorry hide._____
The other simple fact is that in Mitt Romney voters have not merely a safe and steady alternative but a proven leader and an extraordinarily skilled expert in the art of the economic turnaround. Let’s not forget that’s how Romney earned his reputation — and his personal fortune — at Bain. He took failing enterprises or startups and nurtured them into thriving enterprises.
He did that all over again for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel came out for Romney, but the piece is now behind a paywall.
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The Caspar Star-Tribune voices its support for the Republican challenger:
Obama’s term in the White House has been quite possibly the most disappointing presidency in the history of the United States. Obama made great political hay with the notion that he could transcend the partisan lines that led to gridlock. Unfortunately, politics have become even more polarized and Obama has demonstrated a nearly flawless track record of entrenched politics and a keen unwillingness to find solutions.
About the best that can be said by his supporters is: It’s not as bad as it could be.
Theoretically true, but hardly a reason to re-enlist Obama’s service for another term.
I can't really argue with these editorials, for Obama has been an utterly shitty president. It's just that his Republican challenger isn't better.
I will say it again: We need a SECOND party in this country.
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The Bluefield Daily Telegraph:
The past few years have been far from easy for America. We’ve been through two wars, and a crippling financial storm known as the Great Recession. Four years ago, millions of Americans were hungry for hope and desperate for change.
A youthful candidate by the name of Barack Obama promised that change, appealing to both young and old alike. His experience, and record, was a little lacking in terms of his qualifications to assume the position of commander in chief, but his oratory skills on the campaign trail were undeniable. We took a chance on President Barack Obama despite a number of red flags. For example, he promised to bankrupt coal-fired power plants while on the campaign trail. That’s probably why West Virginia overwhelming voted in support of fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton over Obama during the May 2008 primary, and then Republican John McCain in November 2008 — despite the fact that the number of registered Democrats in West Virginia still far outnumber those who are registered Republicans.
However, for the first time in more than 40 years, the neighboring Commonwealth of Virginia voted for a Democrat for president, helping Barack Obama to achieve the Electoral College math needed to win the presidency. When all was said and done, Democrats controlled both houses of Congress, and the White House. But it didn’t take long for things to begin to sour.
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The Billings Gazette:
America needs to get moving faster. Mitt Romney has been bringing that message to voters for nearly four years. Voters wondering whether Romney is presidential material were enthused by his aggressive performance in the first presidential debate._____
Romney spotlighted Obama’s failure to consistently show any kind of strong leadership. Obama has failed to lead America forward from the stagnation that followed the great recession.
On the other hand, Romney’s leadership credentials date back to his successful work on the 2002 Salt Lake City winter Olympics and his tenure as governor of Massachusetts.
As president, Obama has failed to bring people together. Romney will be more open to working with Democrats than Obama has been to work with Republicans.
Strong presidential leadership, the leadership Romney is most likely to deliver, brings people together.
Grand Rapids Press:
It was unrealistic to believe President Obama could meet the lofty expectations created by candidate Obama. No one will dispute that he inherited remarkable challenges._____
But four years later, we need to be further along. And we don’t believe we are on the right path.
Our economic engine is sputtering. We have maxed out the national credit card, adding $5 trillion to our already burdensome debt.
Too many of us are struggling to find work, with the unemployment rate still around 8 percent. Too many more of us are relying on government assistance, with the number of Americans on food stamps rising from 31 million people to 46 million since 2008.
Nebraska's Star Herald:
Given that backdrop, Barack Obama’s highest priority should have been putting the nation and the government back on their feet. After delivering funding during a dire emergency to give the economy a boost, he has shown no inclination to rein it in. Instead, his signature initiative, with an assist from congressional Democrats, was to embark on what amounts to a massive expansion of Medicare, although spending on Social Security and Medicare are unsustainable. Meanwhile, important issues such as immigration, tax policy and entitlement-spending reforms have languished._____
More importantly, unemployment rose significantly during the past four years before it began its slow fall back to where it was when Obama took office. The national debt has risen nearly $6 trillion, and the annual deficit has topped $1 trillion every year. Incomes are down; poverty is up.
Part of Obama’s inability to make progress on those issues is because of the intransigence of a do-nothing Congress, particularly the House of Representatives. Our nation is stuck right now. Thanks to the barrage of spin on cable TV and social media, America elects partisan hacks with no skills in statesmanship. The skills it takes to get elected — hard-headedness, a closed mind, belittling and even lying about one’s opponent — have become impediments to getting anything done.
But Obama didn’t sign on just to win elections and give speeches. The challenge of breaking gridlock and rallying America and Congress behind recovery comes with the job. Instead, the nation is as polarized as ever.
Chicago Jewish Star:
With his executive experience, belief in the enervating potential of the private sector, proven ability to deal with opposing views, positive outlook and quiet but admirable religious and charitable persona, Mitt Romney is the candidate who can best guide our country in the years ahead.
We like Mr. Romney- and strongly endorse his candidacy for president- because of his moderate, small-government views
We like Mr. Romney because he is able to travel to a hot-bed area like Israel and- openly, unapologetically, and accurately- commend the Jewish state for its achievements, while frankly acknowledging that it is Palestinian recalcitrance which has denied peace to the area.
We like Mr. Romney because he understands the need to create jobs by providing the right environment for the private sector to do so.
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