Winston-Salem Journal declines to endorse Bush

They don't endorse Kerry, either. But they are more than displeased with Bush's record.

The Journal has favored Republican presidential candidates in part out of a belief that Republicans are more dedicated to fiscal and personal responsibility and trying to control the growth of government. We also believe that wisely defending the country from threats at home and abroad is one of the most important jobs of the federal government, and in the past we have judged Republican candidates more able to carry out this role.

Since Richard Nixon ran against Hubert Humphrey in 1968, the Journal has endorsed every Republican candidate for president. That list includes George W. Bush when he ran against Vice President Al Gore.

... This is a presidency in deep trouble, made worse by the refusal to acknowledge the trouble.

They don't trust Kerry.

During the campaign, Kerry has said many things with which the Journal agrees. But some of them do not square with his record. Being the president of the United States is very different from being a senator from Massachusetts. Kerry is largely unknown and untried.

So we offer no endorsement. We urge our readers to weigh what they know and what they believe is important, and vote for the candidate who they believe can best lead the United States in these perilous times.

I think it's a shame that they fall for the weakest of weak talking points against Kerry: he's a Massachusetts Senator. Surely there are a lot of reasons to not like Kerry. I can't think of many, but I understand that they exist. But for an editorial board, no matter how conservative, to offer this cop-out (note the complete absence of information to back up their claim... just, his record doesn't match his ideas -- which we like -- and he IS a Massachusetts senator) is pretty shameful.

Not to mention the fact that they cite the fact that Kerry is untried, after acknowledging that they endorsed Bush in 2000 despite his "shaky" foreign policy background. An untried U.S. Senator is unacceptable, but they were okay with endorsing a governor?

I can't believe they bent this far backwards just to avoid crossing the party line.