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.
8 Comments
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.
desmoinesdem Sat 15 Dec 5:18 PM
my gut
Says Biden. They like his Iraq plan.
vox-populi Sat 15 Dec 6:49 PM
My gut
was wrong. They chose Clinton. I want to puke.
vox-populi Sat 15 Dec 8:03 PM
this passage made me laugh
Shorter Des Moines Register: we want a president who won’t do anything not blessed by corporate interest.
desmoinesdem Sat 15 Dec 8:10 PM
And the funny thing is the "we"
since its all different people on the Board.
okamichan13 Sat 15 Dec 11:51 PM
The Des Moines Register
I think I just had the same knee-jerk reaction as vox populi.
drinksgreentea Sun 16 Dec 12:16 AM
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.
drinksgreentea Sun 16 Dec 12:47 AM
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.
desmoinesdem Sun 16 Dec 1:55 AM