Clinton, McCain win Register nod
Posted: Saturday, December 15, 2007 9:03 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:
2008, 2008 Clinton, 2008 McCain
From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann and NBC's Domenico MontanaroThe
Des Moines Register has endorsed
Clinton and
McCain.
The Register's endorsement has been particularly influential on the Democratic side.
This year, Register “calls McCain and Clinton the candidates it believes are most competent and ready to lead." And, "With dissension at home and distrust abroad, as American troops continue to fight wars on two fronts, the times call for two essential qualities in the next American president. Those qualities became the paramount considerations in making endorsements for the Democratic and Republican nominees in the 2008 Iowa caucuses.
“The times call for competence. Americans want their government to work again.
The times call for readiness to lead. Americans want their country to do great things again. They’ll regain trust in their government when they see a president make that happen.”
On McCain: “Time after time, McCain has stuck to his beliefs in the face of opposition from other elected leaders and the public.” More: “The force of John McCain’s moral authority could go a long way toward restoring Americans’ trust in government and inspiring new generations to believe in the goodness and greatness of America.”
On Clinton: “Readiness to lead sets her apart from a constellation of possible stars in her party, particularly Barack Obama, who also demonstrates the potential to be a fine president. When Obama speaks before a crowd, he can be more inspirational than Clinton. Yet, with his relative inexperience, it’s hard to feel as confident he could accomplish the daunting agenda that lies ahead.”
More: On
Edwards: "Edwards was our pick for the 2004 nomination. But this is a different race, with different candidates. We too seldom saw the 'positive, optimistic' campaign we found appealing in 2004. His harsh anti-corporate rhetoric would make it difficult to work with the business community to forge change."
On
Clinton/Obama:
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"Indeed, Obama, her chief rival, inspired our imaginations. But it was Clinton who inspired our confidence. Each time we met, she impressed us with her knowledge and her competence."
