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Daily Endorsement Tally: Bush and Kerry Each Gain in Swing States
By Greg Mitchell
Published: October 12, 2004 12:15 PM EDT
NEW YORK With election day nearing, at least 23 newspapers across the country have endorsed a candidate for president. In the latest additions to E&P's exclusive tally, The Oakland Press in Michigan and The Leaf-Chronicle in Clarksville, Tenn., have endorsed President George W. Bush for re-election, while The Albuquerque Tribune and The Press Democrat in Santa Rosa, Calif., have gone for Sen. John Kerry.
Of this group, the Albuquerque evening paper stands out, despite its modest size, as it went for Bush in 2000 and could sway a few votes for Kerry in swing state New Mexico. But the Bush pickup in Michigan could help the president in that contested state.
E&P is charting daily newspaper endorsements along with the potential circulation impact produced by the endorsers. (See chart below.)
Kerry leads Bush 13-10 in number of backers and has gained the support of many more major papers.
In declaring for Kerry today, the Albuquerque Tribune said that the country "has lost its way under President Bush, who too often has failed on both foreign and domestic fronts." It added that he "has offered simplistic slogans to complex problems, while Kerry see complicated problems and offers the promise of appropriate solutions." The editorial also accused Bush of committing an "unabashed flip-flop of the conservative fiscal ideal."
In supporting Bush, the Leaf-Chronicle praised him for providing tax relief, passing the No Child Left Behind law, and for being "on the cutting edge" in reining in medical costs. The Oakland Press said that Bush had made "mistakes and miscalculations" but that his "leadership ... makes him the best choice on Nov. 2."
Our current tally, with latest daily circulation numbers, follows. "G" and "B" refer to whether the paper endorsed Gore or Bush in 2000:
JOHN KERRY
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (G): 418,323
The Philadelphia Inquirer (G): 387.692
Detroit Free Press (G): 354,581
The Oregonian (Portland) (B): 342,040
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (G): 281,198
The Seattle Times (B): 237,303
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (G): 150,901
The Philadelphia Daily News: 139,983
Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) (G): 109,592
The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.) (G): 89,384
Portland Press Herald (Maine) (G): 73,211
The Day (New London, Conn.) (B): 39,553
The Albuquerque Tribune (B): 13,536
Total Pro-Kerry Daily Circ: 2,637,297
GEORGE W. BUSH
Las Vegas Review-Journal (B): 170,061
Tulsa World (Okla.) (B): 139,383
Mobile (Ala.) Register (B): 100,244
The Oakland Press (Pontiac, Mich.): 65,484
The Pueblo (Colo.) Chieftain: 52,208
The Columbian (Vancouver, Wash.) (B): 51,498
Amarillo (Texas) Globe-News (B): 51,105
The Sun (Lowell, Mass.) (B): 50,369
The Courier (Findlay, Ohio) (B): 22,319
The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, Tenn.): 22,057
Total Pro-Bush Daily Circ: 724,728
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