The editorial board of the largest daily newspaper in the state of Indiana elected not to formally endorse a candidate in either presidential primary race, taking aim at Democrat Hillary Clinton particularly for her "history of cutting ethical corners."
The Indianapolis Star published an editorial Friday noting the "disappointing field of candidates" from which to choose, selecting Clinton and Ohio Gov. John Kasich as the best choices among the "flawed" options but offering criticisms of both.
The editorial board, like others, focused on current controversies surrounding Clinton’s use of private email while at the State Department and her ties to Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs, describing Clinton as "hobbled by serious concerns about her judgment and ethics."
The editorial comes just days before voters in Indiana will cast their votes in both primaries.
"Clinton has a history of cutting ethical corners, and two current controversies--her decision to accept large sums of money in speaking fees from Wall Street insiders, and her reckless choice to use a private computer server while handling highly sensitive information as secretary of state--raise critical questions about her judgment," the editorial board wrote.
Still, the paper’s leaders concluded that Democratic primary voters would be better off voting for Clinton over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) because of his unrealistic proposals that would come at great cost to the nation.
"[Sanders] has built his campaign around extravagant promises of a free college education, universal health care and a federal minimum wage of $15. Such proposals are not grounded in economic or fiscal reality," the editorial explained.
While members of the editorial board applauded Kasich for his record in Congress and as governor, they knocked his campaign’s decision to coordinate with that of Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) in a last-ditch effort to deny GOP frontrunner Donald Trump the 1,237 delegates he needs to capture the nomination outright.
Following wins in Tuesday’s so-called "Acela primary," both Clinton and Trump are closer to capturing the nominations of their respective parties.
However, both could face challenges in Indiana.Polls of likely primary voters in the state show that Sanders and Cruz are close behind Clinton and Trump, respectively.