It’s getting hard to keep up with the growing list of traditionally conservative newspapers that are not just dumping Trump, but are actively endorsing Hillary Clinton. The endorsements have come at the price of some cancelled subscriptions—and even an occasional death threat. Many observers say, “So what,” arguing that, in the age of social media, newspaper endorsements are less impactful than they once were.

But others say that these kinds of unexpected endorsements could make a dent in public opinion: They could shock some voters into the realization that, this time around, they are backing a highly inappropriate candidate named Donald Trump.

…a 2011 study pointed out one scenario where a newspaper editorial board may make a difference: when a newspaper bucks its own tradition.

In that study, Democratic endorsements from conservative papers seemed to have more influence than a Republican endorsement from that paper would, and the same concept applied to left-leaning papers endorsing conservative candidates.

I’m hoping that the 2011 study is correct.

Here are summaries of conservative endorsements of Hillary Clinton, from a recent article in Rolling Stone, called “Conservative Newspapers That Just Went ‘Never Trump.’:

Paper: New Hampshire Union Leader
History: Backed Every Republican presidential candidate since 1916
Headline: “A better choice for President (No need to hold your nose)”
Choice quote: “[Trump] is a liar, a bully, a buffoon. He denigrates any individual or group that displeases him. He has dishonored military veterans and their families, made fun of the physically frail, and changed political views almost as often as he has changed wives.”

Paper: Arizona Republic
History: Backed every Republican presidential candidate since its founding in 1890
Headline: “Hillary Clinton is the only choice to move America ahead”
Choice quote: “The 2016 Republican candidate is not conservative and he is not qualified …. Trump responds to criticism with the petulance of verbal spit wads …. Trump’s inability to control himself … represents a real threat to our national security …. Trump’s long history of objectifying women and his demeaning comments about women during the campaign are not just good-old-boy gaffes. They are evidence of deep character flaws. They are part of a pattern …. Taken together they reveal a candidate who doesn’t grasp our national ideals …. Instead of offering solutions, he hangs scapegoats like piñatas and invites people to take a swing.”

Paper: The Dallas Morning News
History: Backed every Republican presidential candidate since 1940
Headline: “We recommend Hillary Clinton for president”
Choice quote: “Trump’s values are hostile to conservatism. He plays on fear — exploiting base instincts of xenophobia, racism and misogyny — to bring out the worst in all of us, rather than the best. His serial shifts on fundamental issues reveal an astounding absence of preparedness. And his improvisational insults and midnight tweets exhibit a dangerous lack of judgment and impulse control.”

Paper: Cincinnati Enquirer
History: Backed every Republican presidential candidate since 1916
Headline: “It has to be Hillary Clinton”
Choice quote: “Trump is a clear and present danger to our country …. His wild threats to blow Iranian ships out of the water if they make rude gestures at U.S. ships is just the type of reckless, cowboy diplomacy Americans should fear from a Trump presidency …. Do we really want someone in charge of our military and nuclear codes who has an impulse control problem? …. Trump brands himself as an outsider untainted by special interests, but we see a man utterly corrupted by self-interest. His narcissistic bid for the presidency is more about making himself great than America …. Why should anyone believe that a Trump presidency would look markedly different from his offensive, erratic, stance-shifting presidential campaign?”

Paper: Detroit News
History: Has only endorsed Republican presidential candidates since its founding in 1873The Detroit News endorsed Libertarian Gary Johnson, but in the process offered scathing criticisms of Donald Trump.
Choice quote: “Donald Trump is unprincipled, unstable and quite possibly dangerous. He can not be president …. Trump is not a conservative …. Trump has attracted support from too many of those who represent the worst of human nature …. But the most worrisome thing about Trump is that he is willing to stir the populace by stoking their fears of sinister forces at work from within and without to tear down their traditions, values and families ….

“His sort of populism has led to some of history’s great tragedies.”

And just for the sake of being fair and balanced, here’s the list of newspapers—of all political leanings—that have endorsed Donald Trump:

The post Conservative newspapers pile on for Clinton appeared first on Occasional Planet.

The Arizona Republic, which has never supported a Democratic presidential candidate in its 126-year history, has endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. In this historic break from its tradition of unwavering support for conservative candidates and policies, the Arizona Republic says:

This year is different. The 2016 Republican candidate is not conservative and he is not qualified.

This is not a wishy-washy, “lesser-of-two-evils” endorsement. It’s a point-by-point takedown of Donald Trump in comparison to Hillary Clinton. And it starts with temperament:

The challenges the United States faces domestically and internationally demand a steady hand, a cool head and the ability to think carefully before acting. Hillary Clinton understands this. Donald Trump does not. Clinton has the temperament and experience to be president. Donald Trump does not.

Who’s finger do you want on the nuclear button, asks the editorial board:

Clinton has argued America’s case before friendly and unfriendly foreign leaders with tenacity, diplomacy and skill. She earned respect by knowing the issues, the history and the facts.

She is intimately familiar with the challenges we face in our relations with Russia, China, the Middle East, North Korea and elsewhere. She’ll stand by our friends and she’s not afraid to confront our enemies.

Contrast Clinton’s tenacity and professionalism with Trump, who began his campaign with gross generalities about Mexico and Mexicans as criminals and rapists. These were careless slaps at a valued trading partner and Arizona’s neighbor. They were thoughtless insults about people whose labor and energy enrich our country.

The newspaper’s editorial board reminds readers that there were negative consequences when Arizona passed the 2010 “Show Me Your Papers” law. Trump is also taking a very hard line on immigration, and the Arizona Republic is now rejecting that position:

 …SB 1070, the 2010 “show me your papers” law …earned Arizona international condemnation and did nothing to resolve real problems with undocumented immigration.

Arizona understands that we don’t need a repeat of that divisive, unproductive fiasco on the national level. A recent poll shows Arizonans oppose both more walls and the mass deportations Trump endorses.

We need a president who can broker solutions.

Clinton calls for comprehensive immigration reform, a goal that business, faith and law enforcement leaders have sought for years. Her support for a pathway to citizenship and her call for compassion for families torn apart by deportation are consistent with her longtime support for human rights.

The endorsement also praises Clinton for her work in support of gender equality; it calls Trump’s long history of objectifying women a “character flaw.” And it calls Trump out for “a stunning lack of human decency, empathy and respect. Taken together, they reveal a candidate who doesn’t grasp our national ideals.”

 As secretary of state, Clinton made gender equality a priority for U.S. foreign policy. This is an extension of Clinton’s bold “women’s rights are human rights” speech in 1995.

It reflects an understanding that America’s commitment to human rights is a critically needed beacon in today’s troubled world.

Trump’s long history of objectifying women and his demeaning comments about women during the campaign are not just good-old-boy gaffes.

They are evidence of deep character flaws. They are part of a pattern.

With regard to all-important Supreme Court nominations,Clinton is a “centrist,” while Trump is a “wild card” says the Arizona Rebublic.

Trump’s conversion to conservatism is recent and unconvincing. There is no guarantee he will name solid conservatives to the Supreme Court.

Hillary Clinton has long been a centrist. Despite her tack left to woo Bernie Sanders supporters, Clinton retains her centrist roots. Her justices might not be in the mold of Antonin Scalia, but they will be accomplished individuals with the experience, education and intelligence to handle the job.

They will be competent. Just as she is competent.

Trump is a candidate who can’t control his words

Trump’s inability to control himself or be controlled by others represents a real threat to our national security. His recent efforts to stay on script are not reassuring. They are phony.

The president commands our nuclear arsenal. Trump can’t command his own rhetoric.

Were he to become president, his casual remarks — such as saying he wouldn’t defend NATO partners from invasion — could have devastating consequences. Being the leader of the free world requires a sense of propriety that Trump lacks.

We have an opportunity to heal the nation, and Clinton is the one to do it.

This is Hillary Clinton’s moment to reach those who feel left behind.

We understand that Trump’s candidacy tapped a deep discontent among those who feel left behind by a changed economy and shifting demographics.

Their concerns deserve to be discussed with respect.

Ironically, Trump hasn’t done that. He has merely pandered. Instead of offering solutions, he hangs scapegoats like piñatas. In a nation with an increasingly diverse population, Trump offers a recipe for permanent civil discord.

This is Hillary Clinton’s opportunity. She can reach out to those who feel left behind. She can make it clear that America sees them and will address their concerns.

She can move us beyond rancor and incivility.

End note: Since the Arizona Republic endorsed Clinton, many long-time readers have cancelled their subscriptions. This is to be expected. But in a much more troubling development, the editors have even received a death threat. You have to wonder if this kind of reaction has been made acceptable by the violence-inciting rhetoric of the candidate [Trump] whom the Arizona Republic has bravely rejected in this election cycle.

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