New York Times backs Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, claims they are Democrats' top choices for president
In a move that has surprised many, the New York Times’ editorial board has endorsed both the women running for the presidential nomination in the Democratic Party - Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, in a decision announced on January 19.
While Warren, a senator from Massachusetts, is among the frontrunners to bag the nomination, Klobuchar - her counterpart from Minnesota - has still some miles to cover although she has gained some momentum ahead of the Iowa caucuses on February 3. Warren and Klobuchar were the only women on the stage in the last Democratic presidential debate held in Iowa on January 14. The four other candidates were Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, former vice president Joe Biden, former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg, and billionaire Tom Steyer.
The NYT editorial board’s decision to back not one but two candidates marked a break from the convention but the daily said it was more in tune with the “realist” and “radical” models that have been presented to the voters by the 2020 Democratic field.
According to a report in the NYT, “The board’s decision to back not one but two candidates is a significant break with convention, one that it says is meant to address the 'realist' and 'radical' models being presented to voters by the 2020 Democratic field. While arguing that President Trump must be defeated, the board does not take a position on the best path forward for Democrats, writing that both approaches “warrant serious consideration.”
The NYT report also said that the newspaper’s editorial board is separate from its newsroom.
While Warren’s choice was still understandable, the decision to back Klobuchar was startling for many as she is trailing not only the three veterans but even Buttigieg. The 59-year-old has even faced questions over the treatment of her staff members as she has been accused as rude in the past.
Justifying the decision to back the two women candidates, the NYT editorial board wrote, “There will be those dissatisfied that this page is not throwing its weight behind a single candidate, favoring centrists or progressives. But it’s a fight the party itself has been itching to have” since the defeat of Hillary Clinton in 2016, “and one that should be played out in the public arena and in the privacy of the voting booth.”
“Ms Klobuchar and Ms Warren right now are the Democrats best equipped to lead that debate. May the best woman win,” it added.