The Des Moines Register on Saturday endorsed Republican Mitt Romney for president, saying that he offers a "fresh economic vision" and will be better able to "forge the compromises in Congress" needed to jump-start the economy.
"The president's best efforts to resuscitate the stumbling economy have fallen short," the editorial board said. "Nothing indicates it would change with a second term in the White House."
The editorial board, which endorsed Obama in 2008, praised his 2009 stimulus package but said the time is past for more stimulus. Instead, it said, Romney's plans to ease tax and regulatory burdens on businesses will instill confidence in business and consumers. "That formula, coupled with his business acumen, should unlock this nation’s economic potential," the board said.
It's unclear what if any impact newspaper endorsements can have, but this could boost Romney in a toss-up state that he and Obama have been fighting hard to win.
The Register editor, Rick Green, kicked up a ruckus with a blog post last week criticizing Obama and his campaign for insisting that he and publisher Laura Hollingsworth could only interview Obama off the record. Green noted that the newspaper had posted audio of its interview with Romney and said the Register’s half-hour phone conversation with Obama would be valuable information for voters. The Obama campaign released a transcript the next day.