Boston Globe endorses Hillary Clinton

Washington, Jan 25: In yet another boost to her presidential campaign, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton received endorsement from a popular US newspaper which described her as "seasoned" and "grounded".

"The best reason to support Clinton isn't the weaknesses of her opponents; it’s her demonstrated strengths and experience. Even her most dyed-in-the-wool opponents ought to take a second look at her," Boston Globe said in an editorial, explaining the reason for it endorsing Clinton against her nearest rival Bernie Sanders.

"While Sanders has made an important contribution to the Democratic primary campaign, it's Clinton who would make a better president," the editorial board said. The paper, which backed then-Senator Barack Obama in 2008, wrote that Clinton is "more seasoned, more grounded, and more forward-looking than in 2008."

According to the editorial, few Americans lack an opinion of Hillary Clinton, who has served as secretary of state, a senator from New York and as the first lady during the presidency of her husband Bill Clinton. "She's long been the bete noire of conservatives.

Their cartoonish conspiracy theories — remember Vince Foster? — and unfounded attacks against her have, at times, triggered so much sympathy for Clinton that some of her actual weaknesses have been allowed to slide," it said.

"Clinton is not perfect — especially on issues of financial regulation while she represented New York. Her vote in the Senate to authorise the war in Iraq was a mistake, as Sanders has taken every opportunity to point out," the Globe argued.

As per Real Clear Politics, which aggregates all major opinion polls, Clinton leads Sanders by 13 points at the national level.

In Iowa, which would kick off the presidential primary season on February 1, Clinton is leading Sanders by over seven percentage points, but in the next destination of New Hampshire she trails by more than 12 percentage points.

In an interview to NBC's 'Meet the Press', Clinton said she is enthusiastically pursuing the opportunity to reach every single voter in Iowa.

"I feel good about where we are," she said. "I want to build on the progress that President Obama has made and he has a different approach.

And that's what voters are trying to determine, which they prefer," she said. The endorsement came just a day after Clinton won the endorsement of the largest newspaper in Iowa, The Des Moines Register.

PTI