Certainly, no one would expect the liberal New York Times to back Republican candidate, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney for president, just as no one would expect the right-wing New York Post to support Barack Obama for four more years.
True to form, the Times published an op-ed piece, "Barack Obama for Re-election" on Oct. 27, consistent with its support for Obama in the 2008 election, and two days earlier the Post came out in support of Mitt Romney, following its endorsement of Republican John McCain in the 2008 election.
The Daily News wasn’t quite as easy to guess. Although The News -- New York City's third-largest paper by circulation, with 579,636 readers -- supported Barack Obama in 2008, it changed course this year and in Sunday's editorial column, "Our Choice for America's Future: The Daily News Endorses Mitt Romney for President" the paper took some by surprise.
“We valued Obama’s pledge to govern with bold pragmatism and bipartisanship,” the editorial said, referring to its position in 2008. “The hopes of those days went unfulfilled.”
The editorial goes on to cite “achingly slow job creation” and “4.3 million fewer positions than provided incomes to Americans in 2007.” Noting that half of the new jobs are part-time and pay less, The News states that about 23 million Americans are either out of work or cobbling together a living.
Similarly, in "For America's Future, The Post Supports Mitt Romney for President," the paper says, “Mitt Romney knows that there is but one issue in this campaign: America’s woeful economy, and the demonstrated inability of President Obama to cope with it. …Obama says he inherited the mess, but he’s done nothing to fix it.” The Post notes the country's “sky-high” deficit, unemployment and the expansion of welfare programs. The Post has a circulation of 555,786.
In its support for the President, “Barack Obama for Reelection,” The Times, which is the City's second largest paper by circulation with 1,586,757 readers, focuses on the country’s recovery (admittedly slow) from the 2008 financial crisis, and warns of the right-wing threat to health care, women’s rights, same-sex marriage, and the right to vote.
The column’s author adds,
In the poisonous atmosphere of this campaign, it may be easy to overlook Mr. Obama’s many important achievements, including carrying out the economic stimulus, saving the auto industry, improving fuel efficiency standards, and making two very fine Supreme Court appointments.
New York City’s largest daily, The Wall Street Journal, with a circulation of 2,118,315, generally does not endorse candidates for President, according to The American Presidency Project.
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