New Jersey newspapers make endorsements
By Associated Press, WCBS880.com, Sunday October 24, 2004
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) Five New Jersey daily newspapers endorsed Sen. John Kerry for president on Sunday, and one backed Republican President Bush.
The state's two largest papers, The Star-Ledger of Newark and The Record of Bergen County, endorsed Kerry.
The Times of Trenton, the Gloucester County Times of Woodbury and the Courier-News of Bridgewater all urged voters to unseat Bush.
The Asbury Park Press of Neptune was alone among papers making endorsements Sunday in its support for the sitting president.
The papers backing Kerry all criticized Bush on foreign and domestic policy issues, and were especially scathing in their criticism of Bush's performance in the world arena.
"George W. Bush has squandered his presidential inheritance: the reservoir of respect America gained in the 20th
century," The Star-Ledger wrote.
"Three years ago, after 9/11, the entire world was in support of the United States, but that good will, too, has evaporated in the face of a foreign policy that could best be described as 'Cowboy Up.'
"What concerns us the most about the possibility of a second Bush administration, however, is the president's reckless know-nothing approach to foreign policy as exhibited in the disastrous invasion of Iraq and his arrogant disregard for the nation's longtime
allies."
The Record took issue with Bush's arrogance.
"Despite the disastrous aftermath, the continued loss of American and Iraqi lives and the shameful prison abuse scandal, Mr. Bush insists today that he has nothing to answer for and would likely do it all exactly the same way.
His absolute certainty and his refusal to acknowledge any mistakes are
frightening," The Record wrote.
The Asbury Park Press acknowledged Bush's shortcomings the war was a mistake and spending is out of control, it said but still endorsed the president.
"Kerry's campaign has consisted largely of trying to 'out-Bush' Bush," it said,
"on winning the war more quickly in Iraq, on working harder at finding Osama bin Laden, on spending more on homeland security and on investing more in health care and education.
"Bush is flawed. But America will be in better hands with him at the helm than someone still struggling to figure out where he wants to take the country and what he stands
for."
The Times of Trenton declared the second-term election a referendum on the incumbent's leadership, then endorsed Kerry after terming Bush's record
"unacceptable.
"The policies of the Bush administration have been bad for the nation, weakening national security in the name of strengthening it, and bad for ordinary Americans, who have seen the economy go sour and the environment
endangered."
The Gloucester County Times said even though Bush "makes us feel more
comfortable" when he talks about fighting terrorism, it was on his watch that the war in Iraq has morphed
"into a quagmire that threatens not only our troops abroad, but our normal lives at
home."
The Courier-News compared Bush's "go-it-alone" philosophy with Kerry's emphasis on consensus-building before endorsing the challenger.
As The Record put it: "Mr. Kerry would also seek to mend the damage the president has done to our alliances and bring back the spirit of global cooperation that has been lost.
He understands that working together to solve world problems is not a sign of weakness but a source of strength and that fighting poverty in the developing world is one way to help reduce
terrorism."
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