The Orlando Sentinel has endorsed Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. “His accomplishments in both the public and private sectors suggest he would be a steady and competent leader for these divisive and turbulent times,” the Orlando Sentinel wrote in an editorial Wednesday.
Whether any president could successfully work with Congress to pass major pieces of legislation is still in question after last summer’s debt ceiling debacle. During his State of the Union speech Tuesday night, President Barack Obama addressed his unsuccessful tenure as mediator-in-chief.
“I intend to fight obstruction with action, and I will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place,” Mr. Obama said.
The Orlando Sentinel also attacked Mr. Romney’s rivals for twisting his assets into liabilities. “They’ve blistered him for passing a health-care-reform plan as governor. We give Romney credit for working with lawmakers in the his state to solve a problem without waiting for Washington to dictate a solution, which is exactly what happened,” the Orlando Sentinel posited.
The Orlando Sentinel said that Congressman Ron Paul’s (R-TX) “radical anti-government agenda is a cause, not a realistic approach to governing.” The Florida newspaper also slammed Pennsylvania Republican Rick Santorum for being “preoccupied with divisive social issues that would divert attention from more important national priorities.”
While the Orlando Sentinel acknowledged that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich “has brilliantly articulated the rage many GOP voters feel against the political establishment,” the newspaper also said that his unsuccessful run as speaker is disappointing.
The Orlando Sentinel’s endorsement comes at a crucial moment for the Bain Capital co-founder in the Sunshine State. Mr. Gingrich is gaining ground on Mr. Romney among likely voters in the Florida Republican primary. Although Mr. Romney bested the Georgia Republican in the latest Quinnipiac University poll, Mr. Gingrich has surged 10 percentage points since Quinnipiac’s January 9th poll.
