Newspaper endorsements don’t mean much anymore. Fifty years ago....that might sway five percent of the state voting population. Today? Maybe a quarter of one percent of the voting population. Who reads newspapers anymore?
I think the news here is that it shows the state of the voters in Iowa. Not that the endorsement will sway a lot of voters. But, very good news, indeed!
I lived in Iowa from 1974 to 2002. The Des Moines Register is really the only major newspaper there, sort of a New York Times for a state. This is REALLY big.
I like the WSJ because their policy is not to endorse anyone.
you can say that about a paper who for decades endorses the same party.. but when the biggest paper in the state flips it’s usual party endorsement all of a sudden it makes news and people do pay attention to it
In a close race in a swing state you take what ever help or endorsement you can get.
In itself, people may not be swayed by it. However, an endorsement from an establish ‘mainstream’ liberal newspaper sends a message to voters who are tired of 0bama but are afraid that Romney may be ‘too extreme’ that it’s actually fine to vote for Romney.
It’ll be on the front page I assume. That’ll get read since that’s all the average bonehead independant has the attention span for.