The Des Moines Register Endorsement Of Hillary Is Close To Meaningless

    The Des Moines Register has endorsed Hillary Clinton for president.
    Big deal.
    For 364 days of the year, everyone discusses how newspapers are losing their readership and influence. On the 365th, we’re supposed to believe that newspaper endorsements move voters.
    How important is the Register endorsement? Well, even including eras when the Internet didn’t threaten newspapers, in 2004, the Register endorsed John Edwards; in 2000, Bill Bradley; in 1992, no one, and in 1988, Paul Simon. None won Iowa; none won the nomination.
    Hillary probably shouldn’t start writing her victory night speech quite yet.
    On the Republican side, both the Register and the Boston Globe (which endorsed Barack Obama for the Democrats), endorsed John McCain. Given what Republicans think of those papers in both regions, that’s probably more of a minus for McCain than a plus.