WASHINGTON, Oct 24 (AFP) - A raft of US newspaper endorsements largely supporting Democrat John Kerry were published Sunday a little more than a week before the US presidential election, many from the dozen or so remaining swing states expected to decide the outcome.
President George W. Bush however received several important endorsements, including in key swing states across the country.
Of the leading newspapers in the swing state of Ohio, The Columbus Dispatch, the Cincinnati Inquirer and the rival Cincinnati Post endorsed endorsed Bush, while the Toledo Blade endorsed Kerry.
"Like millions of American voters, The Dispatch is less than enthused about the choices in next weeks presidential election," read the endorsement of the Columbus newspaper.
Confronted with a disappointing record by both candidates, "The Dispatch believes a second-term George W. Bush would stand a better chance of leading the nation up the difficult road that lies ahead."
The Toledo Blade however believes that the election "is about unhappy times in America. Our country is a sadder place than it was on Inauguration Day, 2001, and we attribute it directly to the incompetence of the President."
Kerry "will be a much more effective president at creating jobs, not eliminating them," and Kerry, "who has himself gone to war and knows its horrors, will make America safer, and more respected globally," according to the Blade.
Kerry also received endorsements from the Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Post-Gazette and the Des Moines (Iowa) Register, which describing Kerry as "The Real Thing" and "a wise and decent man who has the makings of a fine president."
The Chicago Sun-Times also endorsed Kerry, while its rival, the Chicago Tribune endorsed Bush last week.
In the swing state of Florida, the Orlando Sentinel endorsed Kerry -- the first Democrat the newspaper endorsed for president in 40 years.
The newspaper endorsed Bush in the 2000 election "based on our trust in him to unite America. We expected him to forge bipartisan solutions to problems while keeping this nation secure and fiscally sound.
"This president has utterly failed to fulfill our expectations. We turn now to his Democratic challenger . . . with the belief that he is more likely to meet the hopes we once held for Mr. Bush."
Last week the Miami Herald endorsed Kerry.
In Texas all the leading newspapers endorse Bush: the Houston Chronicle endorsed Bush on Sunday, while the Dallas Morning News endorsed Bush last week. The newspaper believes that if Bush is "granted a second term and freed of the need to appeal to the extreme factions of his party, will regain his bipartisan effectiveness at solving problems."
In California -- a solid pro-Kerry state -- the Los Angeles Daily News endorsed Kerry. The San Francisco Chronicle endorsed Kerry last week.
The influential Los Angeles Times, however, has a policy of not endorsing presidential candidates.
Last week Kerry had picked up endorsements from The New York Times as well as from dailies in Philadelphia and Boston.
The influential Washington Post in the nation's capital endorsed Kerry, saying that President George W. Bush had not earned a second term in office.
"On balance ... we believe Mr Kerry, with his promise of resoluteness tempered by wisdom and open-mindedness, has staked a stronger claim on the nation's trust to lead for the next four years," the Post said.
In Colorado, another swing state, the Denver Post endorsed Bush. "Ours is an era in which security matters most, and national security is the preeminent duty of the next president," the paper wrote, noting that Bush is "best suited to continue the fight" against the terrorism.
However the Post wasn't down on Kerry.
"Just for the record, we consider both Bush and Kerry qualified to be president, and we don't think the world will come to an end if voters turn to the Democrat," the newspaper wrote.
10/24/2004 17:56 GMT - AFP