<em>New York Times</em> Almost Endorsed Obama Over Clinton

On January 25, the New York Times endorsed Senator Hillary Clinton. At the time, the 1,100-word editorial stood out for both its tepidness and early appearance, coming near the front-end of the primary season. The piece ran in the paper the Friday before Super Tuesday, instead of in the Times's symbolically-important Sunday edition. Though the Times hailed Clinton, writing, "we are hugely impressed by the depth of her knowledge, by the force of her intellect and by the breadth of, yes, her experience," it also extolled the virtues of Barack Obama, noting "on the major issues, there is no real gulf separating the two." The editors wrote: "By choosing Mrs. Clinton, we are not denying Mr. Obama's appeal or his gifts."

According to Times sources, the paper almost didn't back Clinton. The divisions within the Gray Lady's editorial board mirrored the deep divide that has split Democrats in this tightly contested campaign. The 20-member board had initially leaned toward Obama, Times sources say. But in January, after the board had debated the endorsement in two separate sessions, Times chairman and publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. decided to favor Clinton. Times editorial page editor Andrew Rosenthal, declining to comment on the internal debate, acknowledged that the vote was a difficult one. "It was a really hard one, no question about it," Rosenthal told me. "We talked about this within our board for hours. It was a very lively, interesting discussion. Several members of the board said it was the best discussion they've had."

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