Today the Salt Lake Tribune endorsed the President saying that he deserved a second term but Mitt Romney didn’t deserve a first. The paper is representative of a huge Mormon population in Salt Lake City , Utah , as well as being in a GOP stronghold. It applauds Romney for what he did for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics but says he has lost whatever talent he brought to the Games at that time. He was even called a “favorite adopted son,” but no endorsement.
CNN quoted the paper:
“Of more importance, the paper said, was Romney's lack of clarity and specifics on his proposal to reduce the deficit, asserting that GOP nominee's plan doesn't add up. The paper also pointed to Romney's now-infamous ‘47%’ comments caught on a secretly-recorded video at a private fund-raiser in Florida suggesting that nearly half of Americans will vote for Obama because they are reliant on government services.
So far I have seen no reaction from the Romney campaign but no doubt the excuses will be forthcoming as soon as someone can come up with a credible answer, if there is an answer for the Mormon Presidential candidate losing the support of this leading Mormon constituency. The paper also came out for Obamacare and the President’s efforts on improving the economy and creating jobs. A sort of overall confirmation of a job well done by Barack Obama.
Newspapers in Tampa and Denver have also endorsed Obama, which is equally important since both of these states are considered “toss-ups” in the election. MSN described the endorsement as “massive” and commented that, “Well, this must be awkward.” They quoted the Tribune as describing Obama’s leadership as “decisive.” It seems that all the things we are hearing from this newspaper refute just about everything Romney and the GOP says the President isn’t.
Howard Hughes, the billionaire recluse, said on many occasions that he hired Mormons to take care of him in his later years because they could be trusted more than anyone else he had ever met. Maybe the Salt Lake Tribune is on to something.
UPDATE
For some of you in the comments below who questioned the credibility of the Salt Lake Tribune, and my research for the article, I anticipated this kind of diatribe so here are the facts.
The Salt lake Tribune is the largest-circulated daily newspaper in Salt Lake City and is operated in a joint operating agreement with the Deseret News. The Deseret News is owned by the Mormon Church.
I didn't say the paper represented the Mormon Church or the Mormon people, only that it is representative of a huge Mormon population.
I must say that this post hit a nerve when it comes to Mormons and other conservatives around the country. There are approximately some 5.4 million Mormons in the U.S. and based on a Gallup poll, 84% are for Romney, 13% for Obama. After the SL Trib article, there is bound to be a new poll.