Florida: Orlando Sentinel for KERRY !! (Bush in 2000)

[Tesibria]

Kerry for president
Our position: The Bush presidency has disappointed us on almost all counts.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-edped124102404oct24,1,5854545.story?coll=orl-opinion-headlines

Four years ago, the Orlando Sentinel endorsed Republican George W. Bush for president based on our trust in him to unite America. We expected him to forge bipartisan solutions to problems while keeping this nation secure and fiscally sound.

This president has utterly failed to fulfill our expectations. We turn now to his Democratic challenger, Sen. John Kerry, with the belief that he is more likely to meet the hopes we once held for Mr. Bush.
....
and it goes on and on -- a stinging indictment of the Bush administration ... and hope for Kerry.

[teach1st]

1. That is a big surprise...

Big for Kerry in Florida.

[Birthmark]

2. That is AMAZING!

I never thought that I'd see the day that the very conservative Sentinel would endorse Kerry! I don't know how much it will help Kerry or hurt Bush, but I guaran-damn-tee ya, it'll surprise the hell out of alot of people. WOW!

[sherilocks]

3. First time in forty years

that the Orlando Sentinel has endorsed a Democrat for president. The last time was LBJ.

[steve2470]

5. really ??? i didn't know that...

we used to call them the Orlando "Slantinel"

[steve2470]

4. OMG, this is wonderful news !!!!!!

I thought that they would go for *, since their parent is the Chicago Tribune. Maybe, just maybe a few non-solid votes will go for JK now. This is wonderful.

[cal04]

6. good for them!

Mr. Bush has been unwilling to reconsider any of his tax cuts, even as the rationale for them -- a huge budget surplus -- has vanished, and the country has gone to war. Other presidents have raised taxes to pay for wars; Mr. Bush is borrowing the money, leaving the bill for future generations.

Four years ago, we called it a "disgrace" that 43 million Americans lacked health insurance. That number has risen under Mr. Bush to 45 million. Yet the plan he now touts on the campaign trail would reduce the ranks of the uninsured by less than 20 percent, and he has not offered a way to pay for it.

Mr. Bush has been a disappointment in other crucial areas. He has weakened environmental protections, pushed an energy policy that would perpetuate America's oil dependence and given up on free-market agricultural reforms that could jump-start trade talks.

Indeed, Mr. Bush has abandoned the core values we thought we shared with him -- keeping the nation strong while ensuring that its government is limited, accountable and fiscally responsible.

[Dudley_DUright]

7. Wow

I hope this helps Kerry win the I-4 corridor and thus FL.

[dave502d]

8. 40 year,that big.

[tedoll78]

9. Ladies and gents,

It looks like Kerry is on his way to winning the Big Three.

Excellent work!

[teach1st]

10. So far, just one major in Florida has endorsed Bush

Add Orlando Sentinel to the list of Florida papers endorsing Kerry.

St. Petersburg Times (G): 358,502
The Miami Herald (G): 325,032
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Ft. Lauderdale) (G): 268,927
The Palm Beach Post (G): 181,727
Daytona Beach News-Journal (G): 112,945
Florida Today (Melbourne) (G): 90,877
Bradenton Herald (B): 52,163

The Tallahassee Democrat couldn't reach a concensus for an endorsement for president. I couldn't find endorsements in the Jacksonville Times-Union and the Pensacola News-Journal.

The Lakeland Ledger is the only Florida major I can find so far which endorses Bush.

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041022/NEWS/410220395/1036/EDIT03