Iowa's Quad City Times Endorses Mitt Romney

Iowa’s Quad City Times, one of that swing’s states most important newspapers, endorsed Mitt Romney for President on Sunday. In 2008 the paper endorsed Barack Obama:

We invested heavily in hope back in 2008.

Our 2012 endorsement of Mitt Romney comes with an imperative for change.

The change that we’d hoped would elevate our economy wound up woefully short. The presidential gambit to place health-care reform ahead of economic recovery jeopardized both. President Barack Obama expended all of the presidential leadership on muscling through health care reform, leaving little for implementation and none for significant economic recovery. . .

The president’s green energy initiatives were intended to launch a U.S. alternative energy boom. Earlier this month, A123 Systems joined the succession of green energy firms that failed after being selected by the Obama administration for preferential grants. Beacon Power. Abound Solar. EnerDel. Solyndra. All stumbled despite receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded grants.

The president laments congressional gridlock that fomented under the inflammatory leadership of Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Harry Reid. The president’s deference to their reckless rhetoric further deepened congressional divide. Obama doesn’t deserve all of the blame. But he merits little credit for any meaningful attempt to bridge the gap. . .

Our hopeful 2008 endorsement went to a promising up ‘n comer over a lackluster challenger who botched his first big presidential decision by picking an unqualified running mate. Sen. John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin struck us, and apparently millions of undecided voters, as a calculated political ploy, not a credible presidential successor.

This year, the Republican ticket is led by a candidate with a proven record of moderate governance, legislative leadership and compromise. Mitt Romney arrives at the presidency with global leadership experience and a track record of turnarounds. . .

Today, we endorse a successful leader focused on economic recovery and growth and deficit reduction. We endorse a proven manager who won’t need on-the-job training. We endorse a compromiser who offers the best hope of breaking congressional gridlock.

Most of all, we endorse change.

We endorse Mitt Romney for president.

Iowa is one of eight key swing states (including Florida, Virginia, Ohio, New Hampshire, Nevada, Colorado, and Wisconsin) still considered to be a “toss up” by polling expert Scott Rasmussen. The Quad  City Times serves two cities in eastern Iowa (Davenport and Bettendorf) and two in western Illinois (Moline and Rock Island). The Times’ switch from Obama to Romney, combined with a similar switch by the state’s most influential newspaper, the Des Moines Register, suggests that the momentum in Iowa is moving away from Obama and towards Romney.