Politics & Government
Detroit News Makes Stunning Endorsement of Third-Party Candidate
Endorsement of Libertarian Gary Johnson breaks 143-year tradition of backing Republican candidate for president.
This year's presidential election has been non-traditional in oh so many ways. The Detroit News just added to the list of anomalies with its endorsement, for the first time ever, of a candidate who is not a Republican, and is backing Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson.
The editorial board of the 143-year-old Michigan institution insists it is not throwing away its endorsement:
"Our contention is that an endorsement based on conscience is never wasted."
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We abandon that long and estimable tradition this year for one reason: Donald J. Trump. For starters, Trump is not a conservative. From his protectionist position on trade to his penchant for buying votes with high-price new social programs to his soft spot for hiking taxes, Trump does not meet any true conservative standards.
Editorial boards at many conservative-leaning papers have found themselves in the same position, but are giving their nod to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, including the Arizona Republic and the Cincinnati Enquirer. But The Detroit News can't go there.
His Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, has an impressive resume and a presidential bearing. And although we disagree with her nearly across the board on the issues, we acknowledge she has the temperament to be commander-in-chief and leader of both a diverse nation and the free world.
But character matters. Her career-long struggles with honesty and ethics and calculating, self-serving approach to politics trouble us deeply.
The board's disdain for Trump continues:
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His sort of populism has led to some of history’s great tragedies. The recklessness of his rhetoric can too easily translate into action. He is a braggart who boasts he can tame the world by tossing around bombs, and poses as a Putin-style strongman. In fact, Trump gushes more glowingly about the Russian dictator than he does many of his fellow Republicans.
Under Trump, America would stand alone in the world. Our allies could not embrace his flamethrowing foreign policy.
Photo by Gage Skidmore via Flickr Commons
