On the morning of the second presidential debate and for the first time in a century, the Columbus Dispatch is endorsing a Democrat. The endorsement comes in the wake of the revelations of Donald Trump bragging about sexually assaulting women.
Hillary Clinton is qualified, they write , and Donald Trump is unfit.
The editorial board of the Columbus Dispatch explained that they really don’t know how we got here and while they aren’t a fan of Hillary Clinton, they are sure she can do the job of president.
On the other hand, the things they say about Donald Trump are scathing. A taste:
The Dispatch traditionally has endorsed Republican presidential candidates, but Trump does not espouse or support traditional Republican values, such as fiscal prudence, limited government and free trade, not to mention civility and decency. We are disappointed that so many Republican leaders have accommodated a narcissistic, morally bankrupt candidate who is so clearly out of step with those values.
…He has proved himself a liar of epic proportion. He is a bigot, a braggart and an admirer of foreign thugs such as Russia’s Vladimir Putin. He is reckless and thin-skinned. He has demeaned Mexicans, demonized Muslims, insulted women and mocked the disabled.
So sure are they that Donald Trump must not be helped into the White House that they urge readers not to vote third party on either side, because a third party vote is a vote for Trump.
They commend Clinton’s long career and “long record of service to families, women and children” as well as writing that she understands and practices the “art of compromise, which once was respected by Republicans and Democrats in Congress, and which allowed for progress rather than gridlock.”
They aren’t just endorsing Clinton, they are rather desperately urging voters to vote for Clinton, “The stakes are too high to sit out this election and risk letting Trump misuse the awesome power of the presidency. The Dispatch urges voters to elect Hillary Clinton.”