Just two days before the Iowa caucuses, The New York Times’ editorial board published its endorsements, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich got its official stamp of approval among the Republican field. Sort of.
After detailing the ups and downs of the other candidates in the Republican party, the Times’ editorial board gave a half-hearted endorsement to Kasich, declaring him “the only plausible choice for Republicans tired of the extremism and inexperience on display in this race.”
Some of that extremism and inexperience the board referred to comes from businessman Donald Trump, who “invents his positions as he goes along” to garner applause at rallies.
The Times also denounces Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who is as “equally objectionable” as Trump, the board said.
In a separate editorial also published Saturday, the Times endorsed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as the Democratic Party nominee.
Despite Kasich’s place as an “underdog” in the polls, the editorial board praised the governor for his decision to accept a $13 billion Medicaid expansion for the state of Ohio under the Affordable Care Act — a move that many Republicans adamantly did not take.
Much like Kasich has been saying during his own campaign, the Times also pointed to his nearly two decades in the House of Representatives and his overall aim of helping the poor as some of his positive qualities.
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“He favors a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, and he speaks of government’s duty to protect the poor, the mentally ill and others ‘in the shadows,’ ” the Times wrote.
Prior to the praise, the Times laid out some of what it considered to be Kasich's dirty laundry on the table. The editorial board warns Kasich is “no moderate” in the Republican field, detailing his position against same-sex marriage and previous attempts to limit abortion rights as some of the reason for its stance.
The endorsement comes a few days after Kasich secured support from The Boston Globe for the upcoming New Hampshire primary Feb. 9.
In national polls Kasich currently sits at seventh place, tied with Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul at just over 2 percent.
Trump, Cruz and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio take the top three spots, polling at 35.8 percent, 19.6 percent and 10.2 percent, respectively.
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