Wooo Hooo! The Orlando Sentinel endorses John Kerry!

[trumad]

I guess my days of calling it the Slantenel are over for now!

This is a big endorsement. The I-4 corridor of Florida has a whole lot of votes and this newspaper is in the heart of it.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-edped124102404oct24,0,6815713.story?coll=orl-home-headlines

[whistle]

1. That is good news, what other Florida newspapers have come out...

...in support of Kerry? As of Oct 17 here was the list:

Florida Papers Endorse Kerry
South Florida Sun-Sentinel - “President Bush has failed the test of leadership. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board recommends voters on Nov. 2 replace him with John Kerry.”

Miami Herald - “On the basis of experience, a strong campaign and command of the issues that make this such a crucial election, The Herald recommends JOHN F. KERRY.”

St. Petersburg Times - “President Bush hasn’t lived up to his promise to be a uniter at home and in world affairs, and he shows no evidence of having recognized, much less learned from, the mistakes that have left this country less united and less secure. John Kerry isn’t a perfect candidate. No one is. But he is an intelligent, principled leader who has demonstrated his commitment to his country on the battlefield and in public service. The Times recommends Kerry as the candidate best equipped to fulfill the promises George W. Bush made four years ago and failed to keep.”

Palm Beach Post - “There are many reasons to declare George W. Bush a failed president. We frame the election in terms of why people should vote for Sen. John Kerry.”

Daytona News-Journal - “America’s prosperity doesn’t entirely depend on a great president. America’s future does. John Kerry’s distinguished service has prepared him to be the leader this country needs. The world, as much as America, would benefit by his intelligence, integrity, courage and compassion in the Oval Office. It especially needs his perceptive restraint.”

Bradenton Herald - “It comes down to this simple question famously asked by Ronald Reagan in 1980: Are you better off today than you were four years ago? The answer, clearly, is no. Ultimately, that is why we recommend John Kerry as president of the United States in the Nov. 2 election.”

Florida Today - “America needs new leadership, and John Kerry can bring it to the White House.”

<link> http://www.command-post.org/2004/2_archives/016036.html

[Orlandodem]

3. St. Pete Times

I'm sure the Miami Herald and South FL Sun Sentinel did as well and the biggest non-endorsement of either candidate was the Tampa Tribune which has endorsed every Repug for over 50 years.

[Orlandodem]

2. Another paper switches from Shrub in 2000 to

JFKII in 2004. Thank you O-Town Slantinel! They haven't endorsed the Dem since Johnson - 40 years ago!

[Ms.Victory]

4. I was shocked!

It's been a long time coming.

[slater71]

5. First time in forty years that they went for a democrat.

[flpoljunkie]

6. An unqualified endorsement of John Kerry, unlike the Washington Post.

I urge everyone to read it in it's entirety and spread the word! It makes a very clear and concise case for the election of John Kerry as next President of the United States.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-edped12...

Ending excerpt:

Mr. Kerry's health plan would extend coverage to 27 million Americans, more than three times as many as Mr. Bush's plan. Contrary to what the president has been saying on the campaign trail, Mr. Kerry's plan would be voluntary, and include private-sector options for coverage.

Also to Mr. Kerry's credit, he has pledged to strengthen environmental protections. His energy plan would do far more to promote conservation and alternative fuels.

Mr. Kerry proposes to pay for all of his plans, primarily by repealing tax cuts for Americans earning more than $200,000. He has not called for tax increases on middle-income Americans.

Mr. Kerry has committed himself to reinstating pay-as-you-go rules that helped turn deficits into surpluses during the 1990s. Such rules would force him to scale back his plans if he can't pay for them.

In sum, we believe Mr. Kerry would be a more bipartisan and effective leader than Mr. Bush. In the Nov. 2 general election, the Sentinel endorses John Kerry for president of the United States.

[shtinkycat]

7. Woo-hoo!

The Florida Today (Central East Coast) went for Kerry last Sunday, but I was worried about the Sentinel - they're known to be more conservative. This is great news.

[trumad]

8. kick