The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Pitiful Editorial in Support of Trump

For the first time since 1972 The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has endorsed a Republican for President. Well, we know that Richard Nixon did not serve his full second term.

To be sure it isn't a full throttled endorsement. The editors readily acknowledge that President's Trump's "personality totally eclipses his record."

So why bother endorsing him for another term? They explain:

Under Donald Trump the economy, pre-COVID, boomed, like no time since the 1950s. Look at your 401(k) over the past three years.

Unemployment for Black Americans is lower than it has ever been, under any president of either party.

Under Mr. Trump, our trade relationships have vastly improved and our trade deals have been rewritten. Thanks to him, middle America is on the map again and the Appalachian and hourly worker has some hope.

When President Trump took office, the national unemployment rate was 4.7%. The lowest unemployment rate during the Trump Administration was 3.5%. The economy had already been turned around. Ditto for black unemployment. 

The PPG editorial board praise Trump on trade but ignore the costly tariffs his administration imposed on friend and foe alike causing needless suffering for our farmers including bankruptcies and suicides.

The only other areas where the PPG editorial board praise Trump is on energy independence and the appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. The jury is out on both of these counts as well. 

Which leaves us with the pandemic.

Curiously, the PPG editorial board do not acknowledge the 230,000 plus Americans who have died of COVID-19 under Trump's watch. Here is all they have to say on the matter:

Has Mr. Trump handled the pandemic perfectly? No. But no one masters a pandemic. And the president was and is right that we must not cower before the disease and we have to keep America open and working.

Voters in New Zealand who gave Jacinda Ardern a majority government would beg to differ when it comes to the statement that "no one masters a pandemic." Trump could learn a lot from Ardern but as the PPG acknowledges, "He has not listened well to people who could have helped him. He has not learned government, or shown interest in doing so." Despite this acknowledgement, the PPG willfully ignores Trump's repeated claims that we are rounding the turn despite the fact we're now reporting 100,000 new cases a day.  

Yet, according to the PPG, Biden cannot be President because he is "too old for the job, and fragile." When was Biden ever fragile? During the DNC? The debates with Trump? Riding a bike? Nor do I recall Biden being hospitalized for COVID-19. 

Yes, the PPG acknowledges that Trump is too old but has full confidence in Mike Pence praising his "safe pair of hands." The would be the guy in charge of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. SMH.

Needless to say, I find the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's praise of Trump and Pence to be pitiful.

Nevertheless it matters not only because how long it's been since they supported a GOP presidential candidate but because they are based in Pennsylvania and Trump needs Pennsylvania to remain in the White House. If Trump carries Pennsylvania then he will have the PPG to thank. The rest of us will use the PPG for our birdcages.