USA Today doesn’t do endorsements. They never have.
In the 34-year history of USA TODAY, the Editorial Board has never taken sides in the presidential race.
But this year, they’re having to alter that policy for the first time; Not to endorse a candidate. To un-endorse one.
Because every presidential race is different, we revisit our no-endorsement policy every four years. We’ve never seen reason to alter our approach. Until now.
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.
The USA Today editorial board stills makes a point that they’re not in the endorsement business. They’re not telling you who to vote for. They’re just digging a big, big trench around Donald Trump and marking it with safety flags.
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Friday, Sep 30, 2016 · 2:45:40 PM +00:00
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Mark Sumner
Donald Trump returns the un-dorsement.
The Alt-Right was keen on reporting that the Arizona Republic was getting a cancellation “every ten minutes” after they endorsed Hillary. Meaning that if it went on all day long, they lost a whopping 48 angry Trump-lovers. No word on how many new subscribers they picked up.
And remember: Under a Trump administration, everyone will read a pro-Trump paper. Because that’s all there will be.
The USA Today board doesn’t stop with a sign warning people away from Trump. There are details. Oh, there are details.
He is erratic. Trump has been on so many sides of so many issues that attempting to assess his policy positions is like shooting at a moving target. …
He is ill-equipped to be commander in chief. Trump’s foreign policy pronouncements typically range from uninformed to incoherent. …
He traffics in prejudice. From the very beginning, Trump has built his campaign on appeals to bigotry and xenophobia, whipping up resentment against Mexicans, Muslims and migrants. …
He’s a serial liar. Although polls show that Clinton is considered less honest and trustworthy than Trump, it’s not even a close contest.
That’s just the opening sentence to charges the editors lay at Trump’s (tiny? are they also tiny?) feet. And it’s not even half the list of his faults. And if they’re not willing to break with tradition and make an actual endorsement, they are willing to say this.
Whatever you do, however, resist the siren song of a dangerous demagogue. By all means vote, just not for Donald Trump.