First Democratic Endorsement In 100 Years - Cincinnati Enquirer Says Hillary For President

After nearly 100 years of supporting Republican presidential candidates, the Cincinnati Enquirer has endorsed Democrat Hillary Clinton for president.

The Enquirer has supported Republicans for president for almost a century – a tradition this editorial board doesn’t take lightly. But this is not a traditional race, and these are not traditional times. Our country needs calm, thoughtful leadership to deal with the challenges we face at home and abroad. We need a leader who will bring out the best in all Americans, not the worst.

That’s why there is only one choice when we elect a president in November: Hillary Clinton.

Located in the vastly important swing state of Ohio, the endorsement could be of some help to Clinton. No Republican has ever won the White House without Ohio.

Among her accomplishments, the Enquirer points to the inclusivity of her campaign and her ability to consider others' opinions as a hallmark of her campaign. Also noted is her constant message of "building bridges, not walls."

On the flip side, the Enquirer's editorial board takes notice of Donald Trump's weaknesses.

Trump brands himself as an outsider untainted by special interests, but we see a man utterly corrupted by self-interest. His narcissistic bid for the presidency is more about making himself great than America.

Trump tears our country and many of its people down with his words so that he can build himself up. What else are we left to believe about a man who tells the American public that he alone can fix what ails us?

Trump has played fast and loose with the support of white supremacist groups. He has praised some of our country's most dangerous enemies — see Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un and Saddam Hussein — while insulting a sitting president, our military generals, a Gold Star family and former prisoners of war like Sen. John McCain.

Why should anyone believe that a Trump presidency would look markedly different from his offensive, erratic, stance-shifting presidential campaign?

Unreleased tax returns, bankruptcies, heavy-handed praise for our country's most dangerous enemies and a long list of unpaid contractors add to the Trumpster's downside.

The editorial board closes with this:

In these uncertain times, America needs a brave leader, not bravado; real solutions, not paper-thin promises; a clear eye toward the future, not a cynical appeal to the good old days.

Clinton has her faults, certainly, but she has spent a lifetime working to improve the lives of Americans both inside and outside of Washington. It's time to elect the first female U.S. president — not because she's a woman, but because she's hands-down the most qualified choice.