Rundown of NH newspaper endorsements in GOP presidential race

Here is a rundown of the Republican presidential primary endorsements from the major newspapers that circulate in New Hampshire.

Of the 11 publications listed here, Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney garnered five endorsements, while former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman was close behind with four.

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich received one endorsement, as did Texas congressman Ron Paul.

Newspapers have a long tradition in endorsing in political campaigns.

Do they make a difference to you in how you think about a candidate and how it affects your decision in the voting booth?

Union Leader: Newt Gingrich

“We don't have to agree with them on every issue. We would rather back someone with whom we may sometimes disagree than one who tells us what he thinks we want to hear.

“Newt Gingrich is by no means the perfect candidate. But Republican primary voters too often make the mistake of preferring an unattainable ideal to the best candidate who is actually running. In this incredibly important election, that candidate is Newt Gingrich.”

Foster’s Daily Democrat: Mitt Romney

“Today, more than ever, the United States needs a president willing to listen to the electorate, a president willing to adapt to today's demands for governance, not remain married to methods because they are from a simpler time. By the same token, Foster's wants a president who has core values.

“... Foster's is endorsing Mitt Romney because he offers a certain moral fortitude we admire. His faith in family, God and country is strong and well rooted. This, combined with a wealth of experience in private enterprise, his time as governor and countless hours listening to voters' concerns, make Romney the most well-rounded and well-qualified to represent the GOP in next November's presidential election.”

Portsmouth Herald/Seacoast Media Group: Mitt Romney

“We believe the president's top priority for the next four years will be restoring health and vigor to the American economy, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is the Republican candidate best suited to the task.

“... it's our observation that Romney is a good man who is not a great politician. He is stiff and lacks the common touch. But the fact is, we're electing a president to tackle highly complex global problems on an hourly basis. It takes an uncommon person with drive, vision, intelligence and integrity to do that job right, and among the Republican candidates, Romney stands head and shoulders above the rest of the field. We encourage our readers to support Mitt Romney in the Republican presidential primary Jan. 10.

Keene Sentinel: Jon Huntsman

“Most Americans look for pretty much the same basic attributes in their political leaders: intelligence, self-assurance, imagination, personal integrity, competency, independence from seen and unseen forces, and a listening ear.

“Some of the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 have some of those qualities, but none more so than Jon Huntsman.

“By any measure, Huntsman is conservative, but he demonstrates a constructive capacity for flexibility and nuance. Unlike most other major candidates, he refuses to sign pledges that would rigidly commit himself to absolutist policy. His position on abortion — he’s against it, but would allow for exceptions in cases of rape, incest or the necessity to save the life of the mother — lines up with general public inclinations. He also endorses civil unions, a social reform that most Americans have come to understand won’t destroy the country.”

Valley News: Jon Huntsman

“What we see is a candidate whose views are solidly conservative, but not myopically so. These individual positions are integrated into a worldview that recognizes the extent to which America's security depends not only on its military prowess but also on the strength of its economy, as measured by opportunity, innovation, competitiveness and energy independence.

“There are many things in Huntsman's policy prescriptions with which we disagree, including his desire to repeal national health care reform. But his moderate temperament and pragmatic outlook speak to us of someone who would govern by facing the facts as they exist and acting accordingly, not by applying an ideological litmus test. We recommend him, in the hopes that the cooler head will prevail in New Hampshire and elsewhere.”

Concord Monitor: Jon Huntsman

“New Hampshire Republicans and undeclared voters who want to field a candidate with broad appeal and the capability and credibility to have a shot at beating President Obama have three choices: putative frontrunner Mitt Romney, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, and diplomat and two-term Utah governor Jon Huntsman. The choice of Huntsman should be clear.

“As one with years of experience in business, he understands the need to invest in education to develop a workforce unmatched in its ability to innovate and create. And he is the only Republican candidate willing to talk honestly about the need to cut military spending in a responsible way to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

“Huntsman's depth of experience, maturity, sincerity and ability to work toward a common goal with political opponents make him the Republicans' best choice to face President Obama in 2012.”

Conway Daily Sun: Mitt Romney

“The best option for Republicans is to vote for the candidate with the best chance of taking the White House — Mitt Romney, the only Republican with the gravitas to unseat a sitting president and the executive experience to revive a flat-lining economy.

“In a Republican primary dominated by social conservatives, Romney has leaned to the right to best position himself to win, but underneath that made-for-TV veneer is a moderate; a moderate in the mold of Republicans like Bob Dole, and his own father, former Michigan governor and presidential candidate George Romney. The son Romney makes frequent references to lessons he learned from his dad. Here, the acorn did not fall far from the tree.”

Nashua Telegraph: Mitt Romney

“... if Republicans are serious about reclaiming the White House – an office they have controlled for 28 of the past 40 years – it is imperative they get behind a candidate capable of reaching beyond the party ideologues and attracting the support of independents and disenchanted Democrats across the nation.

“That candidate, who also just so happens to be the most qualified candidate, is Mitt Romney.”

Berlin Reporter (and affiliated newspapers): Ron Paul

“Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has been in the lead for months, but voters still seem desperate for an alternative. There’s always another candidate pulling stronger or almost as strong numbers in the polls. Voters have lost faith in Obama, but they are not sold on Romney to replace him. Congressman Ron Paul, however, has never voted to raise a tax and voted against all of the bailouts that have riled up Tea Partiers and Occupy Wall Streeters alike.”

Boston Herald: Mitt Romney

“We have referred in the past to the clown car nature of the Republican field as ego-driven candidates like Donald Trump flirted with the process only to be followed by the often engaging but deeply flawed candidacies of Herman Cain, Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul and finally Newt Gingrich.

“It has been an entertaining several months, but really now, does anyone see even the remotest possibility of any of those folks taking the oath of office on the Capitol steps come Jan. 20, 2013?

“So this is no longer a parlor game. Beginning Jan. 3 in Iowa this is very real indeed.
And there is only one candidate in the Republican field with the integrity, the experience, the organizational strength and the intelligence to beat Barack Obama and that man is Mitt Romney.

“But perhaps more to the point, there is only one candidate who can put this nation back on the path to fiscal sanity and restore it to its central role on the world stage. That candidate is Mitt Romney.”

Boston Globe: Jon Huntsman

“Whoever gets the Republican nomination could easily become president. Among the candidates, only two stand out as truly presidential, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman. Both have track records of success, and both, through their policies and demeanors, have shown the breadth of spirit to lead the nation. But while Romney proceeds cautiously, strategically, trying to appease enough constituencies to get himself the nomination, Huntsman has been bold. Rather than merely sketch out policies, he articulates goals and ideals. The priorities he would set for the country, from leading the world in renewable energy to retooling education and immigration policies to help American high-tech industries, are far-sighted. He has stood up far more forcefully than Romney against those in his party who reject evolution and the science behind global warming.

“With a strong record as governor of Utah and US ambassador to China, arguably the most important overseas diplomatic post, Huntsman’s credentials match those of anyone in the field. He would be the best candidate to seize this moment in GOP history, and the best-prepared to be president.”

Eagle-Tribune: Mitt Romney

“America cannot endure four more years of the current administration. We cannot be led by those who believe this nation is nothing special, who are convinced our best days are behind us.

“We need a solid Republican alternative to the Obama presidency, a voice of optimism and true hope for a better tomorrow. We need a candidate who will draw a clear, bright line between where he stands and where Obama stands. Then let the voters decide in November which person can best lead our country.

“We believe the best choice in New Hampshire for Republicans and independents is Mitt Romney.”