The De Moines Register is getting ready to issue their endorsements Saturday at 6 PM (Eastern Time).

[StevieM]

Last edited Sat Jan 23, 2016, 07:16 PM - Edit history (2)

I wasn't sure where to post this. I decided that it should probably go here because:

1) It involves both the Democratic and Republican primaries, and GD: Primaries is supposed to be limited to discussing the Democratic contest.

2) It's more about a newspaper and what they will do, rather than discussing the merits of the individual candidates.

Still...it is a judgement call. Sorry if anyone feels that this should have been posted elsewhere.

Now...onto the subject at hand. Who will the paper endorse?

My prediction is that they will endorse O'Malley on the Democratic side and Kasich on the Republican side.

(Just to state my bias, I am a Hillary supporter).

OK guys, what are your predictions? Who do you suspect they will endorse on each side?

Here is a list of their endorsements in previous caucuses.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/editorials/endorsement/2016/01/22/history-register-caucus-endorsements/79158560/

[elleng]

1. Interesting!

Didn't know they were doing that.

How GREAT it would be if they endorsed O'Malley! (He's my guy!)

[StevieM]

4. I am supporting Hillary, but I do like O'Malley.

He may well be the nominee some day, even if he doesn't win this year.

[JonLeibowitz]

2. (Sanders supporter here)

My predictions:

Democratic Party: Clinton (they did so in 2007 and this year she is only more 'anointed')
Republican Party: Rubio

[StevieM]

3. Rubio is looking more and more like a total clown.

I wonder if they will have a hard time taking him seriously. Maybe they'll be more inclined to endorse Bush or Kasich.

And how terrific would it be if Bush lost the endorsement because of the crap he pulled during the Terry Schiavo debacle?

I see that you have almost 2000 posts in just three months. I am very impressed. It has taken me 11 1/2 years to get to just under 3500.

[JonLeibowitz]

5. Kasich is also a solid choice (someone already mentioned him).

I have no sympathy for Bush's predicament. Trump is kind of right: he is low energy.

Thanks (I think?) for the kind words of nearing 2000 posts. I'll probably make a post in the Bernie Sanders group for my 2000th with my thoughts on where the country is. I cannot believe I didn't know of this site before now. It has definitely enhanced my understanding of where the candidates are on the issues. And I thought I was a political junkie before I was here -- some people more senior than I know a lot!

[StevieM]

7. Yes, it was intended as a compliment. And definitely make a special post for your 2000th.

It is not uncommon to identify a milestone post in the subject line and to dedicate it to a particular issue, subject or comment.

I'm glad that you finally found this site. It is a good place for Democrats to gather and share thoughts.

I'm still not convinced that Bush won't make a comeback. He seems like the only one with the organization and money to challenge Trump and Cruz.

Then again, I am really starting to think that those idiots will actually go ahead and nominate Trump.

[ViseGrip]

6. They have been campaigners themselves, the Register, printing lots of shenanigans.

[CoffeeCat]

8. Here's video of all 3 Dem candidates and their interviews with the Register Editorial Board

The Des Moines Register endorsed Hillary in 2008.

The videos are about an hour, but they're fascinating!

Hillary
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/videos/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2016/01/11/78659498/

MOM
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/videos/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2016/01/15/78839744/

Bernie
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/videos/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2015/12/31/78151512/

Edited to add--I'm watching Bernie's video now. Wow! He's doing such a great job!! Sanders supporters will really enjoy!

[Blue_In_AK]

9. Clinton/Kasich

[StevieM]

10. Interesting prediction. I was thinking that either they would endorse O'Malley and Kasich or they

would go with Clinton and Bush.

[karynnj]

11. Their recommendation was rarely of the winner -- and as they say, was not intended as a prediction

They started endorsing in 1988:

In 1988, they endorsed Paul Simon, Illinois
In 1992, they did not endorse - Harkin was the favorite son that year, very surprised they did not honor him
In 2000, they endorsed Bill Bradley
In 2004, they endorsed John Edwards -- rather than several far better men running against him
In 2008, they endorsed HRC

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/editorials/endorsement/2016/01/22/history-register-caucus-endorsements/79158560/


In the 4 they endorsed, their pick lost both the Iowa caucus and the nomination. It is hard to see a pattern in their choices- especially remember that 2004 Edwards ran to the right of almost everyone but Lieberman.

[StevieM]

12. There wasn't much of a race in 1992. I seem to remember hearing that one or two candidates

other than Harkin dropped in a couple times. But there were no major campaign efforts by Clinton, Tsongas, Brown or Bob Kerry.

Maybe the paper just didn't see the need to make an endorsement in what was essentially an uncontested race.

[karynnj]

13. Good point - this was a recommendation for the caucus

Not to mention, this was 1992 -- so unlike now, they wouldn't really being helping their Senator if he was who they wanted to win the nomination. It wouldn't be read nationwide like now.

[JI7]

15. i wonder if Dean would have been 2nd if edwards didn't get that endorsement

[karynnj]

16. I seriously doubt it -- Dean got 18 percent to Edwards 30 percent

Dean seriously collapsed in the last month - as did Gephardt. Basically, they had a very nasty ad war between themselves and essentially both lost a lot of supporters. These supporters were picked up by primarily by Kerry and Edwards.

Kerry had 38% - so he was a pretty strong winner. One person I knew who went to Iowa for that spoke of how the people who the Kerry team labeled Kerry supporters were extremely unlike to shift once they decided for him. It is possible that Edwards was helped a little by the endorsement -- and the weird arrangement that Kucinich made that his supporters should go to Edwards. The latter might have helped more than the endorsement - even though there were not a lot of Kuchinich caucus goers.

[StevieM]

14. The endorsements are in: Clinton and Rubio.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/

[Octafish]

17. A Gannett paper.

They. Hate. Unions.