The Slatest

New York Times Endorses Hillary Clinton: “Country Should Put Her to Work”

Hillary Clinton greets supporters after delivering a speech at Temple University on Sept. 19, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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The editorial board of the New York Times endorsed Hillary Clinton Saturday, describing her as “one of the most tenacious politicians of her generation.” The endorsement hardly comes as a surprise (the last Republican the paper endorsed was Dwight Eisenhower in 1956), but the editorial—which will appear in the paper’s print edition on Sunday—is notable because it is such a strong defense of Clinton’s record and experience. The Times says it will save for “a subsequent editorial why we believe Mr. Trump to be the worst nominee put forward by a major party in modern American history.” That’s because “the best case for Hillary Clinton cannot be, and is not, that she isn’t Donald Trump.”

The paper’s editorial board makes clear that it is not trying to appeal to the people who already intend to vote for the Democratic candidate but rather “to persuade those of you who are hesitating to vote for Mrs. Clinton—because you are reluctant to vote for a Democrat, or for another Clinton, or for a candidate who might appear, on the surface, not to offer change from an establishment that seems indifferent and a political system that seems broken.”

The editorial then goes on to say that Clinton’s record is her best asset, because it shows how she’s had “a lifetime’s commitment to solving problems in the real world.” The paper’s endorsement “is rooted in respect for her intellect, experience, toughness and courage over a career of almost continuous public service, often as the first or only woman in the arena.” The editorial does note that Clinton has shown “a lamentable penchant for secrecy” and “made a poor decision” when it came to her emails. But compared to the real problems the next president will have to face, “that email server, which has consumed so much of this campaign, looks like a matter for the help desk.”

The New York Times endorsement comes shortly after the Los Angeles Times also backed Clinton’s candidacy, calling the former secretary of state “one of the best prepared candidates to seek the presidency in many years.”

More surprising though was the Cincinnati Enquirer endorsing Clinton Friday afternoon, marking the first time the paper endorsed a Democrat in almost a century. “Our reservations about Clinton pale in comparison to our fears about Trump,” the paper’s editorial board wrote. The Cincinnati Enquirer became the latest traditionally conservative newspaper to endorse Clinton after the Dallas Morning News and Houston Chronicle also broke traditions of backing Republican candidates.

Read more Slate coverage of the 2016 campaign.