by Mitt Romney’s chances are looking up. The Des Moines Register, which is the largest newspaper in Iowa, has just backed Romney for his GOP nomination. This event comes just over two weeks before Iowa’s January 3rd presidential caucus.
The editorial board listed Romney’s “sobriety, wisdom and judgment” and said that he was the most qualified candidate. As the board wrote,
“Rebuilding the economy is the nation’s top priority, and Romney makes the best case among the Republicans that he could do that.”
Taking a Stab At Other Candidates
The board also took a stab at the other top-tie candidates, calling Newt Gingrich “an undisciplined partisan who would alienate, not unite, if he reverts to mean-spirited attacks on display as House speaker.”
They also called Texas Rep. Ron Paul as someone whose ideology would “lead to economic chaos and isolationism.”
Romney also received a recent endorsement from South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley. In early December, he also got another endorsement from Iowa’s Sioux City Journal. The Journal said that the candidate was the
“best prepared through experience, skills and qualities to lead the country.”
Big Win
Certainly, the endorsement is a big win for Romney, but it doesn’t guarantee a success for him in the long run. During the last campaign run in 2008, the paper endorsed GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona over Romney and others. It also backed then Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York. Neither of these candidates made it all the way.
The paper only started making endorsements for the caucuses in 1988; they chose correctly with Bob Dole in 1996, George W. Bush in 1988 and again in 2000. However, only one of their candidates, Bush in 2000, actually won the White House after their endorsement.
