Newspaper Endorsements

 The following papers made no endorsements:

The Clarion Ledger

Hattiesburg American

Cincinnati Enquirer

Columbia Daily Tribune

Daily News  (Batavia, NY)

Erie Times News

Journal Star (IL)

Wausau Pilot & Review

Times West Virginian

Northeast Mississippi Journal

Detroit News

Medford Mail Tribune

Ashland Daily Tidings

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For Trump:

New ownership or editorship of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which almost always goes Democratic:

Donald Trump is not Churchill, to be sure, but he gets things done. He is not a unifier. He often acts like the president of his base, not the whole country. He has done nothing to lessen our divisions and has, in fact, often deepened them. The convictions and intellect of all Americans should be respected by ALL Americans, especially the president. Has Mr. Trump handled the pandemic perfectly? No. But no one masters a pandemic. And the president was and is right that we must not cower before the disease and we have to keep America open and working. He has not listened well to people who could have helped him. He has not learned government, or shown interest in doing so.

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Waterbury Republican American: is behind a paywall.

Ditto The Toledo Blade.

I believe all three of these papers have the same editorial as the Pittsburgh paper.

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For Joe Biden:

The Patriot News:

It is behind a paywall.

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The Citizen:

For people who believe that a vote against Trump could lead to some kind of radical left-wing takeover of our nation, we ask you to take a good look at Joe Biden. This is a man whose adult life has been a commitment to public service. He has acted with grace and determination through considerable personal tragedy and challenges. Biden's career as a U.S. Senator was notable for his bipartisanship, with a focus on building productive working relationships with fellow Republicans and Democrats. In the White House as President Barack Obama's vice president, Biden was often the person who would go to Capitol Hill to work out solutions when serious obstacles emerged. He also was integral to the Obama administration's efforts to foster the American economy's rebound from a deep recession inherited from the Bush administration.

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Daily Nonpareil (Iowa):

Former Vice President Joe Biden will listen to science and provide clear-cut national guidance on the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden will not peddle misinformation about the novel coronavirus.

 

Biden has shown he takes the pandemic seriously, putting him ahead of the current president. Biden will, again, listen to scientists when it comes to climate change and environmental policy.

 

Biden will work to protect and expand the Affordable Care Act, an imperfect bill that nevertheless provides protections for those with pre-existing conditions and is a concrete health care policy — something Trump, despite promises for almost four years, has yet to provide the American people.

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Eau Claire Leader Telegram:  Behind paywall.

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Post Standard (Syracuse, NY):

Biden is the anti-Trump: long in legislative and foreign policy experience, rooted in working-class values, still connected to hardscrabble places like Scranton and Syracuse decades after he left them, his youthful arrogance tempered by grief. Biden is not without faults and controversy, not uncommon to anyone who has dedicated decades to public service. Still, given the choice between Trump and Biden, we’ll take Biden’s competence and heart for the job any day.

 

Biden, who will be 78 in a few weeks, has a long list of tasks ahead should he prevail. He must get the coronavirus pandemic under control, kick-start the economy, fix or replace Obamacare, tackle the climate crisis, restore key environmental protections, address systemic racism, repair international alliances and be prepared to meet the next crisis.

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Charleston Gazette-Mail:

Polls show Democrat and former vice president Joe Biden defeating President Donald Trump, and Republican West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice fending off Democratic Party nominee Ben Salango. In any other era of American history, that would mean something. But this is 2020, and four years of chaos should have everyone casting their ballots, praying to whomever they worship and preparing for anything.

 

If the projections do hold true, the next four years will be easier for Gov. Justice, with Biden in the White House. At first glance, this makes no sense. Isn’t “Big Jim,” as the president likes to call him, personal buddies with Trump? Gov. Justice switched from Democrat to Republican at a rally with Trump in Huntington. The president’s son, Don Jr., and Big Jim go hunting and fishing together. Shouldn’t West Virginians benefit when the governor — who is also a coal magnate — has a pal in the White House? As it’s turned out, the answer is no, especially when it comes to coal.

 

Justice, Trump and the West Virginia GOP all have the same problem: You can rail about everything that’s wrong with the system when you’re the outsider. When you’re actually in charge, the tirades are supposed to stop and stuff is supposed to get done.

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Daily Star: 

Biden has shown the traits a president ought to have. Rather than reduce people to stereotypes and labels, he encourages Americans to come together. He exudes empathy and dignity. While his refusal to get down in the mud with his opponent can frustrate those who wish he’d be tougher, we accept that Biden is smarter than we are about that. He understands that a leader should take the high road, a lost notion, these days.

 

His understanding of government and people is obvious. His decades of service in the legislative and executive branches of our national government will serve him well as he attempts to rebuild relationships both within our nation and without. Biden is the centrist we need right now.

 

He offers a progressive vision, but not the pie-in-the-sky wish list of the far left. He understands that fossil fuels cannot be our future but, unlike Hillary Clinton four years ago, has laid out a plan that shows how jobs lost in that sector can be replaced and augmented by jobs building the new energy infrastructure.

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Tribune-Star: 

Joe Biden is Trump’s opponent. His almost 50 years of experience in government service — first as a U.S. senator and for eight years as Barack Obama’s vice president — has him uniquely prepared for the presidency. He understands how government works, or at least how it’s supposed to work. He is a moderate Democrat who approaches problems in a civil and measured way. He gives Americans a reason to be believe he can restore confidence in the presidency and the institutions necessary for the federal government to perform its vital functions in a competent, fair and just manner.

 

Biden has focused on issues most important to Americans, issues such as health care, economic justice and climate change. His values of decency, civility, inclusion, fairness and equality for all closely reflect what America can be and should be.

 

We endorse Biden’s candidacy and embrace its purpose and ideals. Trump’s time in the White House must end. Biden is the right candidate at the right time to make that happen.

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Herald Bulletin: 

Where the president has only multiplied our misery, Biden would heal the country and get it going in the right direction.

 

A U.S. senator for nearly four decades, he has a record of bipartisan collaboration on issues and legislation in the national interest.

 

As vice president for eight years in the Obama administration, he has extensive experience addressing economic needs, social issues and foreign policy. He oversaw the 2009 Recovery Act that rescued the country from the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression.

 

The product of a middle-class upbringing, Biden understands the daily challenges of putting food on the table and a little money away in the bank.

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Tribune-Democrat: 

A president’s character should be foremost when deciding who sits in the Oval Office. Biden’s reputation as a U.S. senator and vice president is that of a decent, fair and caring public servant. He lost his first wife and baby daughter in a heartbreaking car accident, and his adult son Beau to brain cancer. He understands suffering and personal pain. He is not a narcissist. Biden is a man of compassion and personal responsibility.

 

By contrast, Trump repeatedly devalues women by attacking their ethnicities and philosophies. He scoffed at the #MeToo movement, and pleaded with suburban women to “please like me” during a recent rally in Johnstown. He likewise encourages white nationalism with his words and actions, telling far-right militia to “stand back and stand by” for engaging mostly peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters.

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Staten Island Advance: 

Biden, and vice presidential choice Kamala Harris, face a monumental task, if victorious, in bringing our nation back from the daily chaos and deep divisiveness to which we awake each morning. We cringe as we check our iPhones in fear of the latest, damning, middle-of-the-night tweet from the nation’s chief executive.

 

It has been said we as a nation are exhausted. Donald J. Trump is single-handedly exhausting America.

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Omaha World-Herald: 

Joe Biden, president. It’s time to end the pettiness and recklessness of the past four years and turn the presidency toward a responsible attitude, stability and broader outreach.

This is all. 

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New York Daily News:

Biden is a moderate with a backbone. Even as Bernie Sanders and a wave of young progressives have pulled the Democratic Party left, the septuagenarian has stuck to his pragmatic policy instincts. He resisted pressure to jump on the multi-trillion-dollar Medicare for All bandwagon, instead offering a blueprint for allowing Americans to buy into a public insurance option. As other candidates called for decriminalizing the border and banning fracking, Biden said no.

 

Still, Biden has outlined bold plans to confront major American challenges. He would strengthen, not undermine, the health-care foundation that is the Affordable Care Act. He respects what immigrants contribute to the national fabric and wants to improve gun-safety laws. He would combat climate change and ramp up renewable energy production. He has urgent, coherent plans to beat back the coronavirus.

More to come... 

Newspaper Endorsements

No endorsement:

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Florida Times-Union

Savannah Morning News

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A few for Donald Trump:

The Gazette:

Policy. On that basis alone, undecided Coloradans should cast their vote for President Donald Trump.

Oh, we get it. Trump’s personality and character traits nauseate a significant segment of voters from the far left, through the middle and to the far right. Colorado’s mostly white-collar population finds no charm in Trump’s brazen, crude and unconventional demeanor (see Winston Churchill).

Yet, never has a presidential candidate’s persona been less relevant. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, as shown in the first presidential debate and throughout a lifelong political career, offers no improvement in terms of personality and character.

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Washington Times: 

Four years ago, Donald J. Trump presented himself to the American people as a brash, vulgar, gold-plated reality star seeking a political career in which he promised to bounce the entrenched Washington political set off the ropes of a pro wrestling ring and pound them into the canvas. It all seemed so self-serving and absurd.

Sure, he had built a massive real estate empire and lent his name to gleaming skyscrapers. But he had no track record whatsoever in the political world. We had no reason to trust that Mr. Trump would be a good steward of the economy, a fierce defender of our homeland or even a protector of our most cherished constitutional liberties.

For the first time since our founding in 1982, this paper declined to endorse anyone in the 2016 presidential election.

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Boston Herald: 

All this, of course, ignores the fact that pre-COVID-19, Donald Trump’s economy was going gangbusters. Last year, the jobless rate dropped to 3.5%, its lowest reading in 50 years. The jobless rate for Hispanics hit a record low of 3.9% in September 2019, while African Americans maintained their lowest rate ever, 5.5%, according to CNBC.

The Dow hovered around 19,000 when Trump was first elected — last year it hit above 26,000 — good news for everyone with a 401(k). Trump didn’t spend his way to a robust economy — he cut regulations and got tougher with trade negotiations.

He’s against defunding police, for holding China accountable for COVID-19 negligence and putting America first on trade, defense, the courts and, again, the economy.

He’s what America needs right now, decisive action to get us back to pre-pandemic strength — not an unfeasible spending spree in the name of a progressive utopia.

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For Joe Biden:

Valley News: 

The most compelling argument in favor of the candidacy of former Vice President Joe Biden, at least for some people, is that he’s not Donald Trump. And if shove came to push — which we fervently hope it does not, especially outside the polls on Election Day — that would be more than good enough for us, given the depredations of Trump’s four-year reign of error. But there is so much more to like and respect about Biden as a long-tenured public servant and, just as important, as a man, that we give him our endorsement without reservation.

Support for Biden does not discount the fact that a number of other Democratic candidates had much to offer. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders single-handedly changed the national discussion about health care and economic fairness, among other issues, and deserves credit for energizing an entire generation of young people to become politically active. He has also been a model of consistency during his decades in public office while others have gone where the winds have blown them. We’ve been big fans of Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren ever since she built the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in the wake of the greed and corruption that caused the 2008 economic meltdown. Smart, focused and unafraid of detail (or bullies, like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell), Warren gave hope to millions of girls and young women that the toughest glass ceiling in America can and will be broken. Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg, while lacking national political experience, demonstrated in our conversation with him a command of the issues — not surprising for a former Naval intelligence officer — along with eloquence and humanity. We hope to see more of him in the future: As has been noted before, he could run again in 2056 and still be younger than Biden is today.

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Eagle Tribune: 

A vote for Biden, most urgently, is a vote to change course in how we address a pandemic that has so far infected more than 8.4 million Americans and killed 223,000 people. It is the third-leading cause of death in the United States, behind heart disease and cancer, a ranking higher than in nearly all other countries of similar population and wealth.

Biden pledges to work closely with infectious disease experts who’ve been ostracized by the current administration at various times over the past eight months. We do not expect a Biden administration to sway key decisions about the country’s COVID-19 response, such as how ventilators and personal protective equipment are allocated, based on mercurial politics. Massachusetts was on the losing end of that this spring, with shipments of PPE to the state literally diverted en route. It should not be so again, when vaccines for COVID-19 are distributed.

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Iowa Press-Citizen: 

Joe Biden says he entered this presidential race because Donald Trump equivocated when asked to denounce the white supremacists in Charlottesville. Biden was not the first (or likely second) choice for many Iowans in February. Yet as we have seen the challenges of 2020, from the pandemic to the resulting economic recession, to the protests shining a light on the racial inequality our country has never fully dealt with, it has become clear that he is the candidate — the president — we need.  

We can talk about Biden’s policies. He will implement a science-based response to the pandemic. He understands that addressing this COVID-19 pandemic rather than ignoring it is the way to restore our economy. He will put the country back on the right track with regard to climate change. He will work to ensure that every American has access to affordable healthcare by improving the Affordable Health Act rather than eliminating it. He will restore the United States’ reputation with our allies on the global stage. He will re-establish strong and stable leadership.

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Record Journal: 

Joe Biden is probably nobody’s idea of the perfect presidential candidate. Lacking the charm of a John Kennedy or the star power of a Franklin Roosevelt, no one is expecting him to usher in a New Frontier, let alone a New Deal, if he’s elected. And, at 77, few would expect him to serve two terms.

Furthermore, the former senator and former vice president has been around Washington for a very long time, long enough for him to have accrued an extensive record, some of which is problematic. It’s the main occupational hazard of a Washington insider, which he certainly is.

People on the far left tend to see Biden as a “same old, same old” figure, part of the problem rather than part of the solution, and they long for a candidate more like Bernie Sanders. At one time or another, Biden has taken positions — on Social Security, on the NAFTA trade agreement, on the second Iraq war (“a mistake,” he now acknowledges), and on the controversial 1994 crime bill — that have been widely criticized by Sanders and others. (Even so, Sanders has strongly endorsed him.)

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The Daily Item 

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Vallejo Times-Herald:

It’s time to heal and work to unite the country. To stem the spread of the coronavirus, rebuild the economy, honestly confront racial and economic inequality, aggressively address climate change and reestablish the nation as a respected world leader.

For that, the United States needs a president who will put the country ahead of personal and political self-interests. Who believes in science. Who cares about people of all economic and racial backgrounds. Who has a history of reaching across the political aisle rather than demonizing those who disagree with him.

It’s time to elect Joe Biden.

He’s the candidate who wears a mask and recognizes that the pandemic will not magically disappear, supports the House extension of full unemployment benefit subsidies as the country faces massive unemployment, selected the first woman of color as a vice-presidential candidate for a major party and has a plan to reduce, not increase, the nation’s use of fossil fuels.

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Mankato Free Press: 

Character matters with the office of the president of the United States. Trump fails here as well. While some pass off his “style” as “straight talk,” we see it as demeaning, racially charged, misogynistic and sophomoric.

Biden and Harris have opposed all the Trump policies we believe will hurt the Mankato region.

We do not tell our readers how to vote. We only try to lay out the facts through the lens of the public good and overall well-being of the country.

We urge everyone to vote.

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Philadelphia Tribune: 

American voters can do much better than Trump.

We strongly support Joe Biden for president. The former vice president and U.S. senator from Delaware has the vast political experience and moderate views that should allow him to be able to bring together all Americans.

For the past four years, Trump has tried to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, which has brought access to health care to more than 20 million Americans. If Trump is re-elected, tens of millions of Americans could lose health insurance coverage.

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El Paso Times: 

Trump supporters applaud his work to reduce regulations and lower taxes for some Americans. He also gives them a strong voice as changing demographics shape America's future.

But, they admit, Trump's style at times drives them crazy and is not very presidential.

Biden must end blue state-red state politics. A united America is a worthy, noble cause for the next president.

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More to come... 

Newspaper Endorsements

 A couple for Trump over the past couple of days and no real surprises:

New York Post:

How did President Trump do it? First, by trusting the free market. He championed lowering the corporate tax rate to a figure more in line with the rest of the industrialized world. He cut cumbersome regulations, particularly ones rammed through as President Barack Obama was headed out the door. He streamlined the permitting process that would delay infrastructure projects by years, sometimes decades.

A Joe Biden administration would be beholden to a socialist left that sees an opportunity to remake the nation in its vision, one more dependent on government debt. Consider Biden’s dance on fracking — against it for his party, in favor of it in general because he knows what a positive force it’s been for Pennsylvania. Which position would he have in office?

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The Spokesman Review "with misgivings": 

The economy and markets roared under Trump’s championship of market-based solutions and individualism. Unemployment among communities of color reached record lows. He reset trade and diplomatic relationships in America’s favor. He provided historically high support for traditionally Black colleges. He rolled back extreme environmental regulations and led the way for U.S. energy independence. He backed federal sentencing reform to address inordinately high American incarceration rates. And he’s committed to supporting law and order in American cities.

Biden might win on personality and comity, but his policies would strike at the economic well-being of the country. He favors massive growth in government and a historic increase in federal spending through green initiatives, free health services, free education and other ideas grounded in reliance on the state as savior rather than creating an environment in which individual liberty and hard work can thrive. Public employee unions would hold outsized power and demand greater spending.

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More for Joe Biden:

Eureka Times-Standard: 

America got a good, hard look at the contrast between two candidates for the highest office in the land Tuesday night, if you could stomach it.

One of the candidates for president was able to denounce white supremacy. Hardly a profile in courage, but here we are.

The other failed this most basic test, instead telling the Proud Boys, a gang of racist goons, to “stand back and stand by.”

One of the candidates on stage Tuesday night communicated his belief that America is capable of holding an election and counting votes.

The other did not.

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La Opinion, which is in Spanish. 

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Oroville Mercury-Register:

But there’s a difference now: The king has failed disastrously. Trump needs to be removed from office, and Joe Biden is the only guy who can do it.

The coronavirus is the most glaring example of his failure. Not only did Trump fail to provide leadership in the battle against the disease that has killed 210,000 Americans, he actually impeded the effort to fight the killer to protect his own interests.

In character, when it was determined that allowing the 3,500 Grand Princess passengers to disembark would prevent the spread of the disease to others on the ship, Trump spoke out against the move because it would add 40 infected passengers to the U.S. totals.

He lied to play down the disease’s severity. He overruled or blocked the recommendations of experts. He lied to claim his administration’s success at fighting the disease. He mocked those who wear masks, and refused to wear one himself. It was inevitable he would catch the disease due to his lack of caution.

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Santa Cruz Sentinel: 

The presidency of Donald Trump is heading for the finish line, according to all polls.

Truthfully, who isn’t weary of his erratic behavior, inability to tell the truth in even small matters, boorishness and disregard for the “law and order” he clings to as a campaign strategy.

To say the time is right for a change is a colossal understatement. The election of Joe Biden as the next president is more than a vote for new leadership — it is essential to begin to heal America from the ruinous reign of the Trump storm.

An argument could be made that the Trump presidency was, in the first three years, good for the economy and had some successes in foreign affairs. Terrorism was held in check.

But through it all, even the feckless impeachment spectacle, Trump kept up his bizarre habits of overnight tweets insulting and slandering anyone who dared cross his path.

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North Jersey Record: 

With that consideration made, we believe the presidential candidate best equipped to lead the nation forward into a period of stability and renewed promise is former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. This conviction is underscored by our trust that our nation — nearly 250 years into the American experiment — holds true to the belief that government, at every level, has the capacity to do good.

We acknowledge that many of our readers support President Donald J. Trump — and that many will not be swayed by this affirmation of our values that, taken together, lead us to conclude that Biden’s candidacy offers inspiring — and, more importantly, tangible — possibility for the future health of the United States of America.

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 More to come...

Newspaper Endorsements

 Perhaps the biggest shocker of today was the endorsement of Joe Biden by the right-wing Manchester or New Hampshire Union-Leader, which hasn't endorsed any Democrat for president in over a century:

Building this country up sits squarely within the skill set of Joseph Biden. We have found Mr. Biden to be a caring, compassionate and professional public servant. He has repeatedly expressed his desire to be a president for all of America, and we take him at his word. Joe Biden may not be the president we want, but in 2020 he is the president we desperately need. He will be a president to bring people together and right the ship of state.

Biden is not perfect. We are not satisfied with his responses about his son Hunter’s foreign business dealings. His understanding of gun rights leaves a lot to be desired (Joe says we only need shotguns). He suggests cops faced with a deadly threat should “shoot them in the leg.” He also seems to be copying more pages out of the “Green New Deal” than we would like.

Our policy disagreements with Joe Biden are significant. Despite our endorsement of his candidacy, we expect to spend a significant portion of the next four years disagreeing with the Biden administration on our editorial pages.

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Not a newspaper endorsement, but I do want to point readers to the NYT's blistering obituary of the GOP.  It isn't to be missed:

Most horrifically, Republican leaders have stood by as the president has lied to the public about a pandemic that has already killed more than 220,000 Americans. They have watched him politicize masks, testing, the distribution of emergency equipment and pretty much everything else. Some echo his incendiary talk, fueling violence in their own communities. In the campaign’s closing weeks, as case numbers and hospitalizations climb and health officials warn of a rough winter, Mr. Trump is stepping up the attacks on his scientific advisers, deriding them as “idiots” and declaring Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top expert in infectious diseases, a “disaster.” Only a smattering of Republican officials has managed even a tepid defense of Dr. Fauci. Whether out of fear, fealty or willful ignorance, these so-called leaders are complicit in this national tragedy.

The degeneracy has been going on since the 1960s, beginning with Nixon's Southern Strategy following the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the bleeding of the Dixiecrats from the Democratic Party.  The gangrene was just beginning to start on the GOP and now it has ravaged the party to look even worse than Mitch McConnell looks now.

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More endorsements for Joe Biden:

USA Today:

Biden is well positioned to repair the wreckage Trump has made of the federal government, from the foreign service to the science agencies Trump has tried to politicize. As vice president in the Obama administration, Biden played a central role in the last economic recovery and is equipped to handle another one.

Even before the pandemic struck, Trump did no better than the Obama-Biden administration on job creation, the stock market and economic growth. (Remember his promise to pay off the national debt in eight years? It's now $27 trillion, up more than $7 trillion from four years ago.) Biden knows that the recovery process will require, first and foremost, a comprehensive national response to the COVID-19 crisis that has upended Americans’ lives and left large sectors of the economy reeling. 

This extraordinary moment in the history of our nation requires an extraordinary response. With his plans, his personnel picks, his experience and his humanity, Joe Biden can help lead the United States out of this morass and into the future. Your vote can help make that happen.

Will this endorsement have any effect on what you read about the presidential campaign in USA TODAY’s news reports? No. Will it cause the Editorial Board to pull its punches if Biden were to become president? Also no.

We may never endorse a presidential nominee again. In fact, we hope we'll never have to.

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New York Daily News: 

 

In the middle of a 100-year pandemic in which Donald Trump’s fatal failures have been magnified, it’s easy to forget that the president proved himself an unethical, unprincipled, unstable, juvenile, incompetent, ignorant, lying, fearmongering, race-baiting chief executive before any of us had heard of COVID-19.

Recall that he was impeached in December and tried by the Senate in January for trying to strongarm an ally to announce a political investigation into Joe Biden’s son. And long before that, Trump had racked up a record of bad behavior that he has in certain respects succeeded in breaking the system. So many norms has he violated, the public has grown numb.

This was written back in July.

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Buffalo News: 

Like virtually all second-term elections, this year’s presidential vote is largely a referendum on the incumbent. Unlike most previous second-term elections, this choice is straightforward. Joe Biden must be the country’s next president.

This is partly because Donald Trump has been disastrous to the American idea of democracy and partly because Biden’s experience, decency and judgment will not only serve the country well but, in fact, make him the antidote to four years of authoritarian delusions, juvenile insults and outright betrayal.

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Honolulu Star Advertiser:   Behind a paywall.

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Columbus Dispatch:  I believe this is the same editorial as the Minneapolis Star-Tribune endorsement.

The Star Tribune Editorial Board believes Democratic nominee Joe Biden has the character, experience, purpose and vision to so lead this nation as its next president.

At every juncture where President Donald Trump could have brought this country together, he has sought to tear it apart. The ongoing lack of a federal strategy to deal with COVID-19, the mistrust he has cultivated about scientific evidence, his blatant politicization of masks and social distancing, all have crippled the nation's ability to meet this crisis head-on.

Early on in the pandemic Trump deliberately turned states against one another, in a Hunger Games-style scramble for needed resources, creating needless havoc. Even now, having contracted the disease, he continues to downplay its severity, jeopardizing those around him and turning the White House itself into a hot spot.

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 The Press Democrat:

Donald Trump has proven to be the president we feared when he was elected four years ago: divisive, impulsive, self-reverential and, ultimately, ineffective.

Trump has twisted his office for personal gain, billing taxpayers millions for stays at his resorts and extorting the leader of Ukraine to interfere in this year’s election, bringing about a well-deserved impeachment. He prefers taunts and tweets to negotiation and compromise. His contempt for U.S. allies, denial of climate change and sympathy for white supremacists will harm America for years to come.

Trump must be held accountable for bungling the coronavirus pandemic, resulting in lost lives and an economic collapse unlike any since the Great Depression.

His unfounded claims of mail-ballot fraud and refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power are beyond irresponsible.

But our purpose isn’t to tell you why Trump shouldn’t be reelected. His unfitness for office is self-evident.

Joe Biden is the antidote the United States needs after this poisonous presidency. Biden is the antithesis of Trump: polite, empathetic, a man who believes in government and puts other people ahead of himself.

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Topeka Capital-Journal:

oe Biden should be the next president of the United States.

He should be the next president of the United States because he is caring, trustworthy and experienced. He should be the next president of the United States because he has committed to following the science and leading our country out of this pandemic.

Yes, you might have heard that he’s also a Democrat. He deserves your support anyway.

Everyone knows that Kansas is a red state. We’ve reliably cast our votes for Republican presidential candidates for decades upon decades. But we’re also not a hopelessly partisan state. We have elected Democratic governors and U.S. representatives. We have elected many problem-solving moderate Republicans to the Statehouse.

That’s because we value the old-fashioned civic values and virtues. We value decency, the kind seen in legendary politicians like Nancy Landon Kassebaum and Bob Dole. We value watching out for our neighbors, no matter the color of their skin, their religion or their sexual orientation. We value putting in a hard day’s work. We value the opportunities this country has brought us, as we know that so many of us are immigrants.

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More to come... 

 

 

 

Newspaper Endorsements

 For Joe Biden:

Walla Walla Union-Bulletin:  Behind a paywall, but I suspect there wasn't a full-blown editorial.

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El Nuevo Dia:  

Joe Biden is not a perfect candidate, but he has the attributes to unite the willpower of many and throw away the rhetoric of violence that is creating so much division in the United States. We need a President for all, someone who believes in inclusion, who respects diversity and treats each of us as equals, regardless of color, language or accent when speaking. A President that represents the Constitution, rescuing from oblivion the fundamental principle that all American citizens are covered by a Bill of Rights that protects all our liberties, as well as our right to have our own opinion and differ without fear of being attacked or ridiculed.

Although it is far more specific and encompassing that any of Trump´s unfocused ideas and hurtful speeches, Biden´s plan emerges in the final stages of the campaign. We will keep a vigilant eye to ensure he makes good on his multiple offers. It would be unforgivable to defraud the hope of Puerto Ricans both in the island and in the United States.

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Albany Times Union: 

It will come as no surprise to readers of this page that we endorse Mr. Biden for president. Four years of Donald Trump have left this nation bitterly divided at home, increasingly isolated in the world, struggling through a mismanaged pandemic that has left more than 217,000 Americans dead, and searching for its moral compass.

Mr. Biden’s 47 years in public service, 36 of them as a U.S. senator and eight as vice president, speak to a breadth of experience not just in politics but in the art of governance, negotiation and compromise. These are things Mr. Trump seems not only unwilling to embrace, but temperamentally unable to even grasp.

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 Decatur Daily:  Behind a paywall.

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Hartford Courant:

There are many other reasons to vote for Joe Biden over Donald Trump. Trump mishandled the coronavirus pandemic and let far more Americans die than would have if the nation had acted sooner. He abused his office to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son. He has turned us against each other to aggrandize himself.

The task of trying to enumerate his misdeeds — from the May 2017 firing of FBI Director James B. Comey because “the president wanted to protect himself from an investigation into his campaign,” according to Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller’s report, to Trump’s recent inexplicable behavior and shocking comments after he was found to have COVID-19 — is a numbing one.

Joe Biden, by contrast, is the beacon of sanity this nation desperately needs right now. The Democratic Party has offered a platform of substantive policy initiatives that promise health care for more Americans and an economy that works for all, not just the rich. Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, have the will and good judgment to restore decency to America.

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Austin American-Statesman: 

We need a president we can trust, who will level with Americans, not deal in misdirection and deception. Biden would restore principled leadership and presidential norms to the White House.

Trump’s disgraceful response to the pandemic would be enough to disqualify him from another term. Sadly, he has inflicted more damage on our nation. He obliterates the norms we expect in a president, sowing division and stoking racial strife instead of trying to heal open wounds. He fawns over dictators and takes their word over this country’s own intelligence experts. He jeopardizes our national security and isolates us from other democratic nations. America’s strength and standing depends on its relationships with our allies, relationships Trump has left in tatters.

Trump prefers a world without fact-checkers, criticism and the free press that is a hallmark of American democracy. He prefers an authoritarian style that bypasses Congress and buy-in from the American people. At his order, not Congress’, toddlers were cruelly separated from their parents at the border.

Biden would restore normalcy, civility and humanity to the presidency at a time they are desperately needed. He would lead with dignity and respect for American values and our military. He understands what it is like to send a son or daughter off to war.

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Lincoln Journal Star: 

Based on the trajectory of the last four years, the best choice for America’s next leader is Joe Biden.

The former vice president and senator from Delaware offers a wealth of experience after more than four decades in public office – not to mention a different path than the man he hopes to unseat.

Simply put, Trump’s first term in office has not been what Nebraskans need. Biden will be a change of pace – and that in and of itself represents an improvement.

Trump’s approach of division, of red vs. blue, fails to address the fact that reasonable Americans can have differing opinions in this nation founded on dissent and freedom.

Meanwhile, Biden has a history of being the type of leader who works across the aisle in hopes of achieving a needed compromise. He went as far as calling Trump in April to offer guidance in dealing with a pandemic. A recent Politico profile of Biden noted that, as vice president, he often bridged the gap between Republican and Democratic interests during partisan fever pitches.

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Ashleville Citizen-Times:

Given his age, 77, it is a legitimate question as to what will happen if Biden cannot live out his term. Fortunately, he has as his running mate a woman well qualified to step in, if necessary. Kamala Harris has been a prosecutor, a state attorney general and a U.S. senator. Her positions on the issues are similar to Biden’s.

We could on and on with reasons why President Trump should be defeated. He has been tragically wrong on almost every issue and his personal conduct is deplorable. We’ll just say he is intellectually and morally unfit to hold office under the U.S. Constitution and leave it at that.

But there’s no need to base your vote solely on what Trump is and says. The Democrats have put forth a good candidate who can be supported on his own merits.

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The Republican: 

Biden’s normalcy is one of his greatest assets. So, too, is his experience. He served as Barack Obama’s vice president for eight years and did so admirably throughout. Before that, he was a U.S. senator from Delaware, first elected in 1972.

Has he been on the right side of every issue all the while? Of course not. No one who’s been in government for so long could possibly be. He’s always been a good, decent, honorable and hardworking man who has long demonstrated a quality that is all too rare among today’s politicians: genuine empathy.

We surely could stand some of that right about now.

When Biden talks about governing the way it used to be done, by working across the aisle and forming a consensus, many people dismiss his talk as just so much blather, an impossible wish to return to a time that is long gone. Biden doesn’t believe that, and neither do we. Wouldn’t that be a dream come true.

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Jersey Journal: 

Beyond the issues, we look forward under a Biden presidency to a return to a kinder, more empathetic leadership, one that uplifts and upholds American principles.

When we listen to Trump stand up for white supremacists and essentially call for armed militia types to intimidate us at the polls, our hearts break for a moral and ethical loss that cannot be quantified – and we fear for the future and the soul of our country. When he mocks people and turns conversations with Gold Star families into puffery for himself, we are aghast. When he uses deflection and ugly "I don’t know if it’s true'' dog whistles to avoid responsibility and cast aspersions, we count the days until he is out of office.

Biden sums up his campaign as a call for a return to decency.

We urge you to vote for Joe Biden and put an end to the incompetence and ugliness of the Trump administration.

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More to come... 

 

Newspaper Endorsements

More for Joe Biden:

 Berkshire Eagle:

Mr. Biden would not require much in the way of on-the-job training if he wins election in November.

Mr. Biden entered the Senate as one of its youngest members ever, representing Delaware for 36 years. He was instrumental in passage of the Violence Against Woman Act, and as a member of the Foreign Relations Committee on he worked on international arms control and sanction efforts against apartheid South Africa. This lengthy legislative experience led former President Obama to tap Mr. Biden as his running mate and subsequently the administration's point person to Congress. Mr. Biden's honed negotiation skills came in handy, and his diligent background work was key on important measures like passage of the Recovery Act, the stimulus package that rallied America from the Great Recession, and Senate approval of the New START Treaty, a 2009 strategic nuclear disarmament pact with Russia.

The same editorial appears in the Brattleboro Refomer. 

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Bend Bulletin:

We do, though, want a president who works toward solutions. President Donald Trump lacks the disposition and restraint to do much more than put on a fractious show.

Joe Biden can do much better and he would.

Vote for Biden.

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Capital Gazette: 

Today, as we endorse Joe Biden for president, we want to speak directly to those voters who supported President Donald Trump four years ago.

Like you, we hoped in our heart of hearts that Trump would prove to be more than he appeared to be. The nation was due for a reset, and there was an allure in picking an outsider who promised to change a federal government that didn’t work for those who needed its help.

We hoped that Trump might cut away stagnant parts of the federal bureaucracy to make way for rebuilding based on new ideas.

There will indeed be a need to rebuild in the next four years. But it is the rebuilding that follows a house fire.

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Chico Enterprise: 

The king has failed disastrously. Trump needs to be removed from office, and Joe Biden is the only guy who can do it.

The coronavirus is the most glaring example of his failure. Not only did Trump fail to provide leadership in the battle against the disease that has killed 210,000 Americans, he actually impeded the effort to fight the killer to protect his own interests.

In character, when it was determined that allowing the 3,500 Grand Princess passengers to disembark would prevent the spread of the disease to others on the ship, Trump spoke out against the move because it would add 40 infected passengers to the U.S. totals.

He lied to play down the disease’s severity. He overruled or blocked the recommendations of experts. He lied to claim his administration’s success at fighting the disease. He mocked those who wear masks, and refused to wear one himself. It was inevitable he would catch the disease due to his lack of caution.

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Stamford Advocate: 

No president could have avoided entirely the damage wrought by the worst pandemic in a century. However, it was not until contracting the novel coronavirus himself that Trump has appeared to understand the depths of the crisis his administration has faced this year. For too long, the president insisted the virus would go away on its own, or that its seriousness was being overstated. His shift was short-lived, as he has lapsed back to rallies sans masks and social distancing in recent days. Nevertheless, all Americans share a hope that the administration’s $11-billion “Operation Warp Speed” to deliver effective vaccines in the next few months proves fruitful. Biden, for his part, has from the beginning grasped the gravity of the issue and there is every indication he would take action to fight the virus’ continued fallout as president. He has outlined a plan that includes ensuring all Americans have access to free and reliable testing and implementing national mask mandates.

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Marin Independent Journal: 

Four years ago, the IJ endorsed Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. We argued that she was, by far, the best qualified for the job of president of our nation.

Four years of Trump as president has offered a record that proved us right.

In fact, he has not grown into the job — as had been generously predicted by his supporters. He has built a tenure of divisive partisanship, public bullying, schoolyard name calling, unilateral decision making and secretive leadership. Now, he won’t even promise there will be a peaceful transition of power should he be defeated.

He needs to be defeated — and convincingly.

His behavior during the September debate with Democratic challenger Joe Biden was a culmination of the kind of bullying and disrespectful leadership that has dominated his term as president.

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More to come...