U-T San Diego Formally Endorses Romney; More Big Papers Back Obama

U-T San Diego on Saturday formally endorsed Mitt Romney for president with a 785-word editorial titled Bring in the turnaround expert: The case for Romney.

“More so than any presidential candidate in memory, Romney is credible when he makes the case that the best way to control debt isn’t just by cutting spending, it’s by creating a roaring, revenue- and job-creating economy,” said the editorial posted about 6 p.m.

The editorial board of the U-T said of President Obama: “His policies have not revived the economy; the massive $800 billion stimulus he orchestrated hasn’t come close to delivering on his promises. And Obama’s disengaged leadership style hasn’t just alienated business leaders.”

The move was not unexpected.

Over the past several months, the newspaper has made other pitches for the Republican nominee and criticized the incumbent Democrat. This included a July 22 editorial calling Barack Obama the worst president in American history.

According to a recent report in The Associated Press, U-T publisher Doug Manchester “invested in San Diego-area resident Dinesh D'Souza's hit documentary, 2016: Obama’s America, which portrays a gloomy future if the president is re-elected, according to the paper’s CEO, [John] Lynch.”

The U-T gave the movie wide exposure via a series of full-page ads—which some critics say were free ads.

According to a scorecard kept by the American Presidency Project, 36 of the largest 100 newspapers in the United States have endorsed Obama, 27 back Romney, 13 are making no pick and two are undecided or neutral. Others have yet to announce.

In total circulation, papers endorsing Obama have close to 9.3 million subscribers and Romney backers boast 5.5 million, said the site based at UC Santa Barbara.

The U-T Editorial board is made up of longtime U-T editorial editor William Osborne; editorial writer Chris Reed, formerly of the Orange County Register; editorial cartoonist and Pulitzer Prize winner Steve Breen; Community Opinion Editor Blanca Gonzalez; and letters editor Joe Taylor.