© The New York Times, Nick Oxford
Jeff Mullin, senior writer; Jeff L. Funk, publisher
Jeff Mullin, senior writer; Jeff L. Funk, publisher
Mr. Mullin's red newspaper in a red county in what is arguably the reddest of states went blue this campaign season and endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. The editorial board, in a gray-shaded column on Page A4 on Oct. 9, wrote that Donald J. Trump lacked "the skills, experience or temperament to hold office." The headline and subhead read: "For U.S. president: Hillary Clinton is our choice for commander in chief."
It was the first Democratic endorsement for president in the modern history of the newspaper, which was founded in 1893. As the man's reaction at the steakhouse suggested, Enid was stunned, and this slow-paced agricultural town of 52,000 near the Kansas state line has not been the same since.
The News & Eagle, with a circulation of 10,000, lost 162 subscribers who canceled the paper. Eleven advertisers pulled their ads, including a funeral home that had a sizable account. Someone stuck a "Crooked Hillary" bumper sticker on the glass doors of the paper's downtown office. A man left a late-night message on the publisher's voice mail, expressing his hope that readers would deliver, to put it delicately, a burning sack of steaming excrement to the paper.
Comment: So, this is the story at the local level. Red state, red constituency. Why was it implemented? What was the Clinton leverage at corporate offices and how was that conveyed? Was there something more 'demanding' behind the Democratic media grab in solid red territory or did this parent corporate company make the mistake of falling into the propaganda swirl of the MSM swamp? This 'musepaper' paid a price.