Who will the Register endorse?

UPDATE: As I predicted, they chose Clinton. I had a feeling they would go with the choice of most of the Des Moines business elite.-desmoinesdem

The speculation is swirling and the rumor mill is working at full force today as the Des Moines Register is set to endorse a candidate in their Sunday edition–which will likely be revealed later tonight.

As Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post notes here it is a pretty big deal.  Jeff Zeleny, Register alum and now New York Times reporter, describes the effort of some campaigns to win the endorsement here.

Here’s a sample of some of what’s being said right now.  Ben Smith at the Politico says:

“But I hesitate to predict: Newspaper endorsements are notoriously neurotic, and driven by internal dynamics and the writers’ image of themselves as much as by anything easily predictable.”

I’m not sure how true that is at the Register, but I’ve been trying to work sources in the newsroom and all I know is that the Democrats have been fighting hard for the endorsement.

Marc Ambinder says the endorsement will drop soon:

“….probably in the early evening… and no one knows who… although all the campaigns have guesses, and at least one of them has an office pool.”

I know most of the campaigns will have folks down at Register HQ trying to get the first early copy and report back as soon as they can.

And finally, the biggest gossip so far, comes from the Hotline:

“Buzz is that the odds are with Barack Obama…

The paper’s support for John Edwards in 2004 catapulted him to a second place caucus finish. This year, though, he competes for the nod with a ‘fresher’ face in Obama.

Obama’s anti-war position could be the deal sealer. Edwards supported the 2002 Iraq war resolution, but has since said the vote was a mistake.”

They’re the only ones predicting so far…at least that I can find.  So, consider that a bold prediction.

I won’t make any predictions or offer any odds.  But how about you guys?  Who do you think will get the endorsement?  All I’ll guess is that it will be one of the top tier candidates: Clinton, Edwards, or Obama.  Vote below the fold.

About the Author(s)

Chris Woods

  • I think it will be Clinton or Biden

    The DMR wants universal health care, and I’d be surprised if they go with Obama, whose health care plan is not as good as Edwards’ or Clinton’s.

    Biden is also a possibility, because sometimes they like to pick an underdog.

  • my gut

    Says Biden.  They like his Iraq plan.

    • My gut

      was wrong.  They chose Clinton.  I want to puke.

      • this passage made me laugh

        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.

        Shorter Des Moines Register: we want a president who won’t do anything not blessed by corporate interest.

        • And the funny thing is the "we"

          since its all different people on the Board.

        • The Des Moines Register

          I think I just had the same knee-jerk reaction as vox populi.  

          • Boston Globe

            I did notice that Obama won the Boston Globe endorsement.  It will be interesting to see how the two endorsements of McCain impact his poll numbers.  

            • The Globe should help McCain in NH

              DMR won’t do a thing for him in Iowa. If anything, Republicans will probably hold it against him that the liberal DMR endorsed him.

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