Des Moines Register Endorses Mitt Romney For 2012 GOP Nomination

The Des Moines Register, Iowa's biggest and most influential newspaper, announced that it would endorse Mitt Romney as the Republican nominee for president. The decision will likely provide a significant boost to Romney ahead of the state's first-in-the-nation GOP caucus, which takes place on January 3.

The endorsement, which will appear in print on Sunday, makes the case that Romney "stands out" among the Republican field in important areas:

Sobriety, wisdom and judgment.

Those are qualities Mitt Romney said he looks for in a leader. Those are qualities Romney himself has demonstrated in his career in business, public service and government. Those qualities help the former Massachusetts governor stand out as the most qualified Republican candidate competing in the Iowa caucuses.

The Register also addresses Romney's reputation as a flip-flopper, arguing that " It should be possible for a politician to say, “I was wrong, and I have changed my mind.” The editorial acknowledges that the issue of healthcare presents a special challenge to the former Massachusetts governor:

He helped create health-care reform in Massachusetts that is strikingly similar to the much-derided “Obamacare,” for example. Yet Romney argues reasonably, though not entirely persuasively, that while all states should be free to experiment with their own reforms, it is wrong for the federal government to force a one-size-fits-all plan on the entire nation.

Romney is locked in a tight race for the Hawkeye State. His primary rivals are Newt Gingrich and libertarian Ron Paul. Just days ago, Gingrich held a commanding lead in Iowa, but a Rasmussen poll released two days ago showed Romney with a small lead.

In 2008, the Register endorsed eventual GOP nominee John McCain.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE...check back for further developments.

Comments

[TheSuz]

07:21 PM on 10/27/2012

Politicians should be allowed to change their minds....that is not the problem....the problem is that he LIES and flips on every single issue....he panders to who ever he is talking to and consequently we voters have no idea what he actually stands for. The only HINT as to what he stands for is by looking at what Ryan stands for and that is dangerous for the middle class and poor of this country. Ryan and Romney will do very well under this twosome. I find it incredible that the population of this country does not remember what happened to this country just 4 yrs. ago under republican reins.....This endorsement is not very smart. Even their explanation of why they endorsed is weak.

[Gary Schmidt]

10:40 PM on 12/19/2011

An endorsement from the Des Moines Register isn't always "the best". They don't always pick a winner. Iowan's are an independent lot and will choose whom they like and not do what their state's biggest newspaper endorses. Besides it is currently a liberal leaning newspaper and will probably endorse the liberal candidate in fall of 2012. 50 years ago it was conservative and would only endorse conservatives. If I were a GOP caucus goer I would make up my own mind but fortunately I am not on their side.

[singheart]

09:52 PM on 12/19/2011

It has to be Newt. We need an angry old man in the white house. Maybe I'm missing the point but he seems to be bitter about something. He used to be so charming and regal. What happened?

[LindaCON]

11:08 PM on 12/19/2011

Huh? How can you and I look at the same person and listen to him and come to two opposite conclusions. I think the OLD Newt was the angry one. The new guy is so mellow. Besides he has more brains than all the morons in DC combined. Can that be a bad thing?

[myrainforest]

03:26 PM on 12/20/2011

That is funny. He seems to be the opposite of what he used to be.

[brayhaven]

08:15 PM on 12/19/2011

Romney is the man to lead this country out of the morass, obama's ineptitude has dragged us into.

[joemensa]

08:07 PM on 12/19/2011

If I were Romney, I would deal with the "perceived" inconsistencies in his position regarding a government mandated and regulated healthcare program by simply stating that at the time Massachusetts enacted its program, Ted Kennedy was still alive and still very much an influential member of the senate and one of the most powerful individuals in government...someone who was clearly able to bring home the bacon for Massachusetts (consider for instant the Big Big)...the only reason Romney care was passed into law was because Ted Kennedy used his influence to get the Federal government to pay for any fiscal short falls in the system....without such Federal subsidies the Massachusetts system simply can not survive...as a politician whose sole duty is to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its citizens, and not the federal government or the other 49 states who contribute to the Massachusetts healthcare plan, Romney absolutely did the right thing for Massachusetts...this is no different than the governors of other states who act solely in the best interests of their states....So if I were Romney, I would not apologize ...I would use this as an example of how good a politician he is...problem is, this same system will not work on the federal level because unlike Massachusetts, the Federal government does not have anyone to bail it out when its Obamacare comes up short in the payment of the prgram debts.

[myrainforest]

03:27 PM on 12/20/2011

What do you expect from a man who claims to be a Christian but is a Mormon. Mormons are not Christians.

[joemensa]

05:34 PM on 12/20/2011

Does Romney's religion matter?...and if so, why?

[hamcallk5co]

07:06 PM on 12/19/2011

That is a good recommendation for other candidates; the Des Moines paper is written by folks dependent upon government for people dependent on government and they would not know how to function in that state without welfare, farm subsidies etc. etc. A bunch of beggars all. As Romney is in the wrong party, the endorsement does not surprise me.

[Monroe1959]

11:08 AM on 12/19/2011

Romney is a weasel!

[tsgrcels]

01:16 PM on 12/19/2011

Romney is competent. He has excelled in three areas: private sector, public sector and NGOs. Our current president has excelled in nothing except killing terrorists and that was due to the law of averages.

[brayhaven]

08:17 PM on 12/19/2011

Giving credit to obama for Bin laden is like giving credit to ronald for the hamburger. The guy cooking the burgers should get the credit, not the clown.

[LindaCON]

11:10 PM on 12/19/2011

He happened to be the guy in the oval office when the "we've caught him" call came in. He did NOTHING to make it happen. God bless our troops.

[fgtilley]

10:02 AM on 12/19/2011

Why would Romney tell an outright lie about his knowledge of Medicaid?? Who on earth is he trying to impress by saying he's not sure what Medicaid is?

[bonnieb333]

04:55 AM on 12/19/2011

The Des Moines Register is endorsing Romney??!?

OMG! It's getting scary.

[tin soldier]

08:16 AM on 12/19/2011

What's really scary is when thenew Black Panther Party and the communist party endorse a canidate, and you still make him President . Now that's scary

[politicallyincorrect1160]

10:32 AM on 12/19/2011

No doubt they're endorsing our current President for 2012. How proud he must be.

[Marxsuxd]

10:35 AM on 12/19/2011

Or when the candidate pays Ac.orn to register thousands of Dem voters - legally or not.

[Blazen52]

03:05 AM on 12/19/2011

This man is a JOKE! All you have to do is search a bit to see what he truly stands for. Here I have a video of Romney saying he would arrest a man, whom has a horribly severe case of muscular dystrophy, because he uses marijuana to medicate himself. After being put down by Romney, the young man sits in his wheelchair and holds a sign on his lap, requesting permission to ask Romney a question and is ignored. Before anyone goes on a rant, go ahead and watch the video first.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0ggFeloqYk&list=FLCm9Q4KqaLvKvLdEB-2Bf3w&index=18&feature=plpp_video

[lewtripp]

03:48 PM on 12/19/2011

and

[2disgusted]

02:54 AM on 12/19/2011

I'm delighted! I'm a Progressive Democart who would love to see Romney as a president! At least the guy has moral values. America needs a leader like that-- not just a celebrity chaser like Obama and DEFINTIELY not the Newt! As a woman who was betrayed by her husband while recovering from a second cancer, I would NEVER support a man who served divorce papers on a wife after her cancer surgery. His morals are wretched! The Newt should honorably step down and confess his faults and his ego! That's the last thing America needs! A morally degenerate idiot with a large spending account at Tiffany's! America should teach all these adulterers and 'No fault divorcers" a lesson! Obama puts up a good family face-- but what does he do?-- He supports Chinese women at the East West Center who attack 30 year marriages!~ Obama's mother's East West center connections are disgraceful, His sister Maya made terrible remarks at the endowment of a scholarhsip in honor of his mother by pointing to trees on the East West center campus and saying, "Oh there is where my mother copulated and Obama must've been conceived"-- as though that is something to uphold!

[debekniss]

04:08 AM on 12/19/2011

2disgusted - Sorry to disagree but Ron Paul has a histroy of telling it like it is and has been married to the same woman for 54 years. Even your guy admits Ron Paul has the most enthusiatic followers around and maybe because we see the man as he is ... Americas Last chance to help it become the great Nation is is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlXJt6I6G7U&feature=related

[politicallyincorrect1160]

10:36 AM on 12/19/2011

There isn't one flawless candidate, but if push came to shove, the only candidate I would trust with my money WOULD be Ron Paul. A little wacky, and a bit too conservative on certain issues - no doubt, but of all the candidates, he has his finger smack on the pulse of what is wrong, and what needs to be done to make it right.

[bonnieb333]

05:08 AM on 12/19/2011

You're a progressive Democrat? Why the capital "P" on progressive??? Is that a new party?

What does Obama's mother or sister have to do with him as President? Nothing!

And you think Romney is the greatest thing since Dixie cups, huh? You preached and preached about Newt and his account at Tiffany's. How come you didn't mention that Romney is QUADRUPLING the size of his $12 MILLION house in La Jolla, California? Huh? Huh? Huh?

Yeah . . . Romney. A man whose views change with the day of the week.

Methinks you babble on and protestith too much, dearie.

[Marxsuxd]

10:26 AM on 12/19/2011

His sister is as much of a rich private schooled Harvard elite snob as he is.

[politicallyincorrect1160]

10:49 AM on 12/19/2011

I read, and also heard in an interview that they "...wanted to enlarge their TWO-BEDROOM MONTICITO HOME because with five married sons and 16 grandchildren, it is inadequate for their needs.” And, I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm assuming he can afford it. And then there's Al Gore, who, while lecturing the world about reducing CO2 emissions and saving energy, his own Pacific Coast mansion uses 20 times the energy of the average American home. The good news - he must not take the Global Warming theory too seriously, or he'd never purchase a mansion so close to the RISING WATERS OF THE OCEAN.................!

[falconsso]

12:32 AM on 12/19/2011

The Great Oz has already bought the election with his $35,800.00 a plate dinners.

[blkrvr]

12:25 AM on 12/19/2011

too bad my vote is more important than his endorsement(s) which means nothing to me but he cant say my vote means nothing to him mmm guess i win

[mvp019a]

09:13 AM on 12/19/2011

Too bad none of votes mean anything - both candidates are always bought and paid for in advance.

[bonnieb333]

02:22 PM on 12/19/2011

Unless you have millions of votes, unless I can;'t count, you LOSE! What a dumb statement.

[sierra496]

10:48 PM on 12/18/2011

I could be wrong...I have been before. Looking at the contenders from the Republican Party, Mitt is the person I would likely vote for right now. Still a ways from the primaries so my vote could change. To be clear...I support Mitt ONLY because he seems to be the best of the lot. That doesn't mean I will send him flowers or ask him to some military dance. Sh*t floats so after these people stir the pot we will see a few floaters!

[deusnonestsorry]

01:24 AM on 12/19/2011

@sierra: Since you put it so eloquently lol

[wssweeps]

09:15 AM on 12/19/2011

I see what you mean sierra, we have a floater in the white house now.

[lewtripp]

04:01 PM on 12/19/2011

Well said,my friend.

[pittelli]

10:48 PM on 12/18/2011

I'm surprised anyone takes these newpaper "endrosements" seriously anymore. After the New York Times came out in favor of the Iraq War, it was clear that the whole game is fixed and there is no independent decision-making going on with corporate owned newpapers. It's wise to support the opposite of whatever the newspapers are endorsing.

[bonnieb333]

02:26 PM on 12/19/2011

Since various newspapers throughout the country will be separately endorsing one candidate or the other, when it comes down to the two who are running, I guess you won't be voing, Pittelli. You just made an assinine statement to "support the opposite of whatever the newspapers are endorsing." Dumb!