Economist Magazine Endorses Kerry

[Bossy Monkey]

Oct 28, 3:22 PM EDT

Economist Magazine Endorses Kerry

By IAN PHILLIPS
Associated Press Writer

LONDON (AP) -- The Economist magazine endorsed John Kerry's candidacy for the White House on Thursday, citing what it called the "sheer incompetence" of post-war Iraq planning, and the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, which it said would "haunt America for years to come."

The conservative magazine, which backed the Iraq war, said it was supporting Kerry "with a heavy heart," but that the errors of the Bush administration couldn't be ignored. "Our confidence in him has been shattered," it said in a scathing editorial posted on its Web site.

The Economist last endorsed a Democrat in 1992, when Bill Clinton ran for the presidency. In 2000, it supported Bush.

"This year's battle has been between two deeply flawed men," it said. "George Bush, who has been a radical, transforming president but who has never seemed truly up to the job ... and John Kerry, who often seems to have made up his mind conclusively about something only once, and that was 30 years ago."
(more)
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BRITAIN_ECONOMIST_BACKING_KERRY?SITE=SCCOL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[lil-petunia]

1. a maz ing. The Economist?

I subscribe, and thoroughly enjoy reading a literate mag, rather than some 3d grade photojournal like Thyme or gNusWeak. I cannot believe this. awsome.
wonderful. FANTASTIC!

[bigworld]

2. the best magazine

out there for news junkies by far. It's a steep $100 for a 52-week subscription but worth every penny.

[whistle]

3. That is good news, even economists realize that Bush's economic....

...policies supersede Adam Smith and the principles he outlined in "Wealth of Nations" book. I can sum up the direction that Bush and his dominionistic republicans wish to take the U.S and world economy into as corporate feudalism.

[Atlanticist]

4. I'm a long-time subscriber (being a Brit myself), and have been

waiting for the endorsement for a while with keen interest. Given the contortions the Economist has gone through to continue to justify the Iraq war in the first place (which itr does to this day), I had an awful feeling it was going to endorse *.

Anyway, sense has prevailed, and the Economist has actually been pretty consistent over the past two years in excoriating Bush in a whole host of areas - fiscal policy, the environment, energy, Cheney, Abu Grahib, Guantanamo, Palestine, social policy, the Wolfowitz/Rumsfeld axis. In fact, the only things they've consistently supported Bush on are the PNAC agenda about spreading democracy, and No Child Left Behind.

I'm delighted that I don't have to cancel my subscription after all. It's a great read, elegantly written and well researched. Liberal in many areas, but of course down-the-line conservative on economic policy (sound money, free trade, globalisation yada yada)

[Jack The Tab]

5. I wonder how many Freepers read the Economist?

And I wonder if there will be a thread over there about this endorsement?

<sarcasm off>

[lil-petunia]

8. Jack, sit down my son.

Freepers don't read. Do you know what would happen to their limited synapses if they read everything they spouted opinions on?

The proper question should be,
"I wonder how many Freepers read."

[FlashHarry]

6. There'll be pork in the treetops, come November 2!

I never thought I'd live to see that one!

[nodehopper]

7. oh my god!

This is unbelievable! The other day I was talking with a friend about how The New Yorker broke with tradition and endorsed Kerry, and as a joke I was, like, "watch, the Economist will be next." They have been so pro-Bush, but it looks like their reasonable British sanity won out in the end.

[cliss]

9. Just amazing. They all know it.

Bush is an idiot. I'm just thankful that they all found their voice, at the 11th hour. The newspapers and media in general have been so browbeaten, that they didn't dare say very much in opposition to these lunatics.

Finally, at long last. Well, it's good to see it in print, believe me. This little charade has gone on for too long.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

10. This shows how EXTREME Bush is!!!!

The Economist is at great odds with Kerry's tax policies and his anti-offshoring efforts. But they see the light and that Bush will be an international disaster!

[WMliberal]

11. the Apologist?! the same one

who was cheerleading for war more than any other intellectual magazine? geez, that's the biggest right wing name I've heard of come out of lockstep.

[Dcitizen]

12. That's all economic genious