Jacksonville, Florida (CNN) – The Tampa Tribune endorsed Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, who the newspaper said is an “innovative problem-solver with rock-hard conservative credentials,” over Mitt Romney, whom it called the “safer choice.”
Sunday’s endorsement from the city’s second-largest newspaper that leans conservative comes two days before Florida’s primary election in which Romney is favored to win.
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Despite potential areas of weakness from the former House speaker, the editorial said Gingrich is the best Republican candidate to “take the fight” to President Barack Obama.
“Sure, he can be grandiose. His personal life has been, to put it kindly, complicated. But he has proved his ability to effect change – in a hurry. And this is what the nation needs,” the editorial read.
The editorial page editors said they believe Gingrich has learned from the “painful experience” of facing ethics violations at the end of his two decades in Congress, which are the subject of a Romney television ad released in Florida on Sunday.
While Gingrich and Romney both vow to repeal Obama’s health care law, the Tampa Tribune raised the question of Obama’s plan being based partly on the Massachusetts health care system implemented when Romney was governor.
“There are important differences in the plans, but it takes some explaining. Gingrich would be able to attack the looming entitlement without apology,” the paper said.
On Saturday, Gingrich picked up the endorsement of former presidential candidate Herman Cain. The two will campaign together in Tampa on Monday.
Romney received the endorsement of the Orlando Sentinel on Wednesday.
In 2008, The Tampa Tribune endorsed Arizona Sen. John McCain over Romney in the 2008 GOP presidential primary.
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Oh well, I was considering canceling my Tampa Tribune subscription; now I guess I on't have to think about it any longer.
What a moronic/idiotic endorsement! If TP could not endorse the best candidate (Romney), I would have preferred that it stayed neutral.
Who cares? Newspapers are no longer relevant in today's society. Their endorsements are meaningless. Rather than focus on which presidential candidate they'll endorse, they should instead focus on their record-breaking declines in readership.
Gingrich is ,just a mean spirited Republican
Newspaper endorsements don;t mean crap. I endores Mitt Romney and cannot wait til he beats Obama.
Yes, Gingrich for President! President Obama will wipe the floor with Gingrich, whose unrealistic rhetoric is not going to work on the general U.S. voter population.
So much for unbiased news...
Only in the world of CNN is the Tampa Tribune a newspaper that "leans conservative"...
Every one of my conservative friends who supports Newt says the same delusional thing... "He'll destroy Obama in the debates." Way too much GovBrewer-ish hatred of the guy who won. Obama and a Dem Congressional super-majority in 2012 !
Safer choice NO COMMENT!
A surprising recommendation from a paper I admire. However, I have learned that surprises are the norm with these R candidates. Well, Nixon came back from scandals to become President. Look what happened to him. If Gingrich carries the flag for the Rs in the next election, I will be surprised again. It's a watch and see!
This is a great example of why anyone down here with any sense reads the St. Petersburg Times. Oops, I mean, now the Tampa Bay Times. Anyway, The Tribune is a waste of a perfectly good tree.
Well................what can you say? A rag backs a rag!
What, no coverage about Ron Paul winning 85% of the Arizona straw poll?
Too bad the Miami Daily News is no longer published. It would surely have endorsed Romney and, since it was owned by former Democratic Presidential Candidate James M. Cox, would finally have settled on Barack Obama as it's choice for the next 4 years. Hopefully, his state of Ohio will go democratic this year.
I keep thinking Republicans are going to see how ridiculous Newt is viewed by everyone but Republican voters. Just last month Newt said he would ask John Bolton to be his Secty of State!! R U KIDDING ME?? The guy who pushed just as hard as Cheney to invade Iraq!??!
“innovative problem-solver with rock-hard conservative credentials, the only thing rock hard on him appears to be below the waist. 3 wives? Really? What a perfect example of a man who wants more and more but is not willing to work on his own relationships. Marriage can be hard but you have to work at it and not give up.. Leading the country is probably harder than being married. See what happened to Newt when he lead the house? He failed at it. He is a failure with grandiose ideas and if Romney os the safer choice then I would rather be safe than have Newts ego leading the way.
This is great news! This kind of stupidity keeps the unelectable Gingrich's campaign alive, doing horrendous damage to the republican party. Keep it up! The newspaper probably wanted to appeal to its conservative advertisers. So, like Gingrich himself, everyone is looking out for themselves, while the party is destroyed. Typical republicans!!
How do you People that pick Newt Gingrich to win. He was kick out of Congress by the Republican. He cheated on two wife and he work for Fannie mac has a lobbyist. Are you people getting that hard up that you will sunk this low to pick him has a candidate. How with all the Bad baggage that Newt Gingrich has could you ever really trust him. And don't tell me he find God because you can go to any Prison In America and ever body In there that want out will tell you they find God. and than when they get out they will kill someone else.
Wow, last month we were worried what Iowans thought.
Me and my paper back Gingrich too. I put it under my cat Gingrich's litter box.
We still let Florida vote?
This doesn't surprise me. I knew there was a reason I never went to Florida in my entire life. And I was born in the Deep South. And I've traveled the Deep South extensively...except Florida. Take into consideration the mindset of the Deep South and then take into consideration the mindset of the the people that have immigrated to Florida from all parts of the world and all parts of the United States. The sun and warmth does something to the brain chemistry that causes the synapses to foul when they are firing. The folks in Florida would vote for "The Joker" if he was running for POTUS. I wouldn't trust the people in Florida with giving me a valid receipt for a purchased cup of coffee.
LOL – what a laugh – that's funny, a Las Vegas Newspaper backs Romney – and knowing that the Newter has got the Casino Owner backing him – with another 10 million – & the newter is all of a sudden a "historian" ?? lol – yep -that's right -'ol newter is a historian alright – I guess when he was a "historian" working for freddie mac – taking 1.6 million from them – so the historian tells people that the palestinians were "inventive " people ?? That's like saying that the American Indians were "inventive" people. WoW the newter is a piece of work, alright. I'm not defending the palestinians, nor the Indians, but the newter HAD to say that he was a "historian" because he's already denied that he was a Lobbyist for them. It's a wonder why freddie mac doesn't ask the newter for their money back – by rights, they should ask the newter for every penny of their 1.6 million.
Larry in Houston
It is sad when the choice is a Newt or a Mitt. That is a choice between a small salamander, that spends most of its time on ground, or a baseball glove. I guess the Tribune likes small amphibians more than baseball. Next, they'll be firing their sports editor I suppose as being obsolete.
so the tampa tribune endorsed'WHO' IN O8? AND THEY ARE NOW ENDORSING WHO? ok.....