Now that the two major political parties have officially declared their nominees, it’s time for the media players to choose sides. But in this amazingly erratic campaign season, even old stalwarts are becoming more difficult to predict. In perhaps the reddest of the red states, the unlikely nomination of Donald Trump has caused normally solid Republican backers to reassess their support. In one of the first public statements from a major newspaper, the Houston Chronicles has declared their support for Hillary Clinton.
By any reckoning, this is not a small development. The Chronicle is the largest newspaper in Texas, claiming a readership of just over a million for its Sunday edition. Though Houston leans perhaps a little Left of the majority of Texans, the endorsement of the top newspaper in the fourth-largest urban center in the United States is an encouraging sign for the Democrats. For Republicans, this can only add fuel to the fire of their concern over this election. If even Texas is wavering, it only illustrates how far Trump has to go to win over the majority of Americans before November.
Like many newly-minted Democrats around the country, the Chronicle’s reasoning focuses on the significant political history of Clinton, including her stints as First Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State. In light of Trump’s political experience of attending fundraisers and watching the news, the comparison is almost painfully lopsided.
Though the paper agrees with Clinton’s self-assessment of her poor campaigning skills and recognizes that many voters simply don’t like or trust her personally, Trump’s penchant for bumper-sticker policy proposals, xenophobia, and erratic behavior overshadow any concerns over Clinton’s personal foibles. In light of the “most basic notions of competence and capability,” they go so far as to say that concerns over her interpersonal skills are “almost irrelevant at this moment of reckoning,” an illuminating statement given the general understanding the the Office of the President relies extensively on the power of persuasion to accomplish its goals. In a way, the Chronicle is arguing that even this crucial weakness in Clinton’s personality is outweighed by the greater concerns over Trump.
While the choice of Clinton is surprising from a paper that has only endorsed three Republicans in its history, the timing of the endorsement speaks almost as loudly as the statement itself. The Chronicle bluntly states that Trump is a “danger to the Republic,” an indication that they believe the risk in electing an unproven commodity like Trump should “make every American shudder.” By their quick action, they are saying there is no time left to waste.
If other Texas papers follow suit, we may be witnessing the first Democratic victory in Texas since Jimmy Carter carried the Lone Star State in 1976. Perhaps it’s time.