Philocrites

Breaking for Kerry.

by Philocrites

Editor & Publisher, which covers the newspaper business, has been keeping track of editorial page endorsements in the presidential race. Endorsement season ended today, the Sunday before Election Day. And what did we learn this year? Among the findings:

• Most newspapers' endorsements usually go Republican. After all, the editorials in a newspaper reflect the views of not just the editorial writers but also the publishers — businessmen whose views often coincide with the Republican Party's business wing. But not this year: Kerry has been endorsed by 206 editorial pages; Bush has been endorsed by 166.

• "In the past, major metros tended to split right down the middle, but Kerry has carried them by about a 5-3 margin this year."

• The circulation of papers backing Kerry is approximately 20 million; pro-Bush papers have a readership of approximately 14 million.

• 43 papers that backed Bush in 2000 have switched to Kerry this year.

• 16 papers that backed Bush in 2000 have declared neutrality this year.

• Only 7 papers that endorsed Al Gore in 2000 are backing Bush this year.

On Monday, E&P will publish a complete list of endorsements. Meanwhile, the two endorsements I most strongly second are from two "liberal hawk" publications that largely embraced Bush's initial arguments for invading Iraq but that have now become sharply critical of the president's handling of the war: The New Republic and The New Yorker (which has never before endorsed a presidential candidate).

Update 11.1.04: With today's editorials, Kerry has been endorsed by 208 daily newspapers (circulation 20,791,336) and Bush has been endorsed by 166 (circulation 14,455,046).

Copyright © 2004 by Philocrites | Posted 31 October 2004 at 4:22 PM

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