Here we go again: another historically Republican editorial board, The Desert Sun of Palm Springs, California endorses Hillary Clinton:
We have come to this decision with tremendous respect for history and The Desert Sun’s role in this community. In 90 years, we have never endorsed a Democrat. The editorial board opposed Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman and John F. Kennedy and endorsed Thomas E. Dewey twice, Richard M. Nixon three times and the likes of Wendell Willkie and Alfred Landon….
The editorial debunks the false assertion that the Clinton Foundation acted as a slush fund for the Clinton family but takes issue with possible efforts on the part of donors to use donations to gain access to Clinton as Secretary of State. It also criticizes the secrecy that may have led her to use private servers when Secretary. Otherwise, the editorial is rather supportive of Clinton and quite critical of Trump.
Despite being an historically Republican-leaning editorial board, it appears to cater to Palm Spring’s large gay population, devoting four paragraphs in praise of Clinton’s evolution on issues impacting LGBT people. It also focuses on other issues of concern for Coachella Valley voters: solar power, immigration reform, and a “$350 billion “College Compact” plan that gives states grants to ensure students can attend four-year public institutions without going into debt.”
The editors praise her work as first lady, her ability to work across party lines as Senator, and the international relationships she built as the “most-travelled” diplomat ever.
The editorial comes down especially hard on Trump’s lack of “presidential” temperament and pettiness:
Historians will not hold this campaign in high regard.
Trump has struggled to demonstrate a “presidential” temperament despite efforts by various campaign chiefs to add polish to the erratic, boorish, belittling candidate who blustered his way through the GOP primaries.
History will not forget that Trump avoided deep policy debate through deflection, demeaning rivals in childish fashion: “Little Marco” Rubio, “Lyin’ Ted” Cruz, “Low Energy” Jeb Bush, “Crooked” Hillary Clinton.
Name-calling demeans the office he seeks, yet it’s just one unsettling aspect of the xenophobic, nativist campaign Trump has waged. He has pricked the worst impulses of a frustrated American electorate.
In the first head-to-head debate, the newly stage-managed Trump avoided pitfalls for about 20 minutes, but couldn’t resist whining about the Clinton campaign’s attack ads and Rosie O’Donnell. He backhandedly credited himself for not launching a vicious, personal attack on Bill Clinton.
Interestingly, the newspaper touts its relationship to USA Today but, unlike USA Today, which urged readers to vote against Trump without making an affirmative endorsement, The Desert Sun had the backbone to do so.
I have to confess that I compulsively check the Wikipedia page, Newspaper endorsements in the United States presidential election, 2016, which records newspaper and other publication general election Presidential endorsements. So far, no newspaper has endorsed Trump in the general. During the primaries, only four newspapers endorsed Trump: his son-in-law Jared Kushner’s New York Observer, Murdoch’s NY Post, Santa Barbara News-Press, and that paragon of journalism, The National Enquirer. It will be interesting to see which publication will be willing to be the first to put its reputation on the line by endorsing Trump in the general election.