Editor's note: In this extraordinary election season, many newspapers that have traditionally endorsed the Republican presidential candidate switched to the Democrat this year. And a few notable publications that seldom or never endorse took a stand. Here's a sample.
COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Trump unfit, Clinton is qualified
Note: Until this year, the Columbus Dispatch had not endorsed a Democrat for president since Woodrow Wilson in 1916.
For us, the choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is not pleasant, but it isn't difficult. Republican candidate Donald Trump is unfit to be president of the United States. Democrat Hillary Clinton, despite her flaws, is well-equipped for the job.
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.
While third parties offer a tempting way out of the dilemma, votes cast for the Libertarian or Green Party tickets could have the effect of helping Trump win the White House.
CINCINNATI ENQUIRER: It has to be Hillary Clinton
The Enquirer has supported Republicans for president for almost a century — a tradition this editorial board doesn't take lightly. But this is not a traditional race, and these are not traditional times. Our country needs calm, thoughtful leadership to deal with the challenges we face at home and abroad. We need a leader who will bring out the best in all Americans, not the worst. That's why there is only one choice when we elect a president in November: Hillary Clinton.
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Trump is a clear and present danger to our country. He has no history of governance that should engender any confidence from voters. Trump has no foreign policy experience, and the fact that he doesn't recognize it — instead insisting that "I know more about ISIS than the generals do" — is even more troubling. 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.
DALLAS MORNING NEWS: We recommend Hillary Clinton for president
There is only one serious candidate on the presidential ballot in November. We recommend Hillary Clinton. We don't come to this decision easily. This newspaper has not recommended a Democrat for the nation's highest office since before World War II — if you're counting, that's more than 75 years and nearly 20 elections. The party's overreliance on government and regulation to remedy the country's ills is at odds with our belief in private sector ingenuity and innovation. Our values are more about individual liberty, free markets and a strong national defense.
We've been critical of Clinton's handling of certain issues in the past. But unlike Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton has experience in actual governance, a record of service and a willingness to delve into real policy. Resume vs. resume, judgment vs. judgment, this election is no contest.
ARIZONA REPUBLIC: Hillary Clinton is the only choice to move America ahead
Since the Arizona Republic began publication in 1890, we have never endorsed a Democrat over a Republican for president. Never. This reflects a deep philosophical appreciation for conservative ideals and Republican principles. This year is different. The 2016 Republican candidate is not conservative and he is not qualified.
That's why, for the first time in our history, the Arizona Republic will support a Democrat for president. 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.
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE: Why Hillary Clinton is the safe choice for president
Vengeful, dishonest and impulsive, Trump is no Romney. This is why Hillary Clinton is the safest candidate for voters to choose in a complex world. Terrible leaders can knock nations off course. Venezuela is falling apart because of the obstinance and delusions of Hugo Chávez and his successor. Argentina is finally coming out of the chaos created by Cristina Kirchner and several of her predecessors.
Trump could be our Chávez, our Kirchner. We cannot take that risk. This paper has not endorsed a Democrat for president in its 148-year history. But we endorse Clinton. She's the safe choice for the U.S. and for the world, for Democrats and Republicans alike.
ATLANTIC: Against Donald Trump
Note: Just three times in its history, the Atlantic has endorsed a candidate for president: Abraham Lincoln in 1860, Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 and Hillary Clinton this year.
Today, our position is similar to the one in which the Atlantic's editors found themselves in 1964. We are impressed by many of the qualities of the Democratic Party's nominee for president, even as we are exasperated by others, but we are mainly concerned with the Republican Party's nominee, Donald J. Trump, who might be the most ostentatiously unqualified major-party candidate in the 227-year history of the American presidency.
These concerns compel us, for the third time since the magazine's founding, to endorse a candidate for president. Hillary Rodham Clinton has more than earned, through her service to the country as first lady, as a senator from New York, and as secretary of state, the right to be taken seriously as a White House contender. She has flaws (some legitimately troubling, some exaggerated by her opponents), but she is among the most prepared candidates ever to seek the presidency. We are confident that she understands the role of the United States in the world; we have no doubt that she will apply herself assiduously to the problems confronting this country; and she has demonstrated an aptitude for analysis and hard work.
Donald Trump, on the other hand, has no record of public service and no qualifications for public office. His affect is that of an infomercial huckster; he traffics in conspiracy theories and racist invective; he is appallingly sexist; he is erratic, secretive, and xenophobic; he expresses admiration for authoritarian rulers, and evinces authoritarian tendencies himself. He is easily goaded, a poor quality for someone seeking control of America's nuclear arsenal. He is an enemy of fact-based discourse; he is ignorant of, and indifferent to, the Constitution; he appears not to read.
This judgment is not limited to the editors of the Atlantic.
USA TODAY: Trump is unfit for the presidency
Note: The editorial board of USA Today had never taken sides in the presidential race before this year. Notably, the board did not have a consensus to endorse Clinton, so it simply said not to vote for Trump.
This year, the choice isn't between two capable major party nominees who happen to have significant ideological differences. This year, one of the candidates — Republican nominee Donald Trump — is, by unanimous consensus of the Editorial Board, unfit for the presidency.
From the day he declared his candidacy 15 months ago … Trump has demonstrated repeatedly that he lacks the temperament, knowledge, steadiness and honesty that America needs from its presidents.
Whether through indifference or ignorance, Trump has betrayed fundamental commitments made by all presidents since the end of World War II. These commitments include unwavering support for NATO allies, steadfast opposition to Russian aggression, and the absolute certainty that the United States will make good on its debts. He has expressed troubling admiration for authoritarian leaders and scant regard for constitutional protections.
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Whatever you do, however, resist the siren song of a dangerous demagogue. By all means vote, just not for Donald Trump.