The New York Times editorial board on Sunday night endorsed Senators Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar as the Democratic candidate for president.

In an op-ed called “The Democrats best choices for president,” the editorial board said that after spending over 12 hours discussing who should be the Democratic nominee, they landed on Warren and Klobuchar based on their different visions for the future of the country.

“Both the radical and the realist models warrant serious consideration,” they said. “That’s why we’re endorsing the most effective advocates for each approach.”

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The New York Times editorial board on Sunday night endorsed Senators Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar as the Democratic candidate for president.

In an op-ed called “The Democrats best choices for president,” the editorial board said that after spending over 12 hours discussing who should be the Democratic nominee, they landed on Warren and Klobuchar based on their different visions for the future of the country.

The Times wrote that a split is becoming apparent on the Democratic side – those who have vowed to return Trump’s America to a more sensible place, and those who believe America is dealing with “political and economic systems so rotten that they must be replaced.”

“The history of the editorial board would suggest that we would side squarely with the candidate with a more traditional approach to pushing the nation forward, within the realities of a constitutional framework and a multiparty country,” they wrote. “But the events of the past few years have shaken the confidence of even the most committed institutionalists. We are not veering away from the values we espouse, but we are rattled by the weakness of the institutions that we trusted to undergird those values.”

“Both the radical and the realist models warrant serious consideration,” they added. “If there were ever a time to be open to new ideas, it is now. If there were ever a time to seek stability, now is it.”

The editorial board also acknowledged that while many Democratic voters are primarily interested in who has the greatest chance at beating Trump, polls don’t always reflect what voters actually care about.

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“With a crowded field and with traditional polling in tatters, that calculation calls for a hefty dose of humility about anyone’s ability to foretell what voters want.”

The dual plug marks the first time the paper’s endorsement history that the editorial board has chosen to back two candidates.

The Times endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016 – the first time the paper endorsed a female candidate.

Neither Sanders nor Biden

Foto: Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders top the list of favored Democrats to run for president in 2020, according to a poll of likely Iowa caucusgoers.sourceAssociated Press/Nati Harnik; Associated Press/Matthew Putney

The editorial board explained their decision in detail, picking apart the politics, age, experience and electability of all of the remaining candidates in order to come to their conclusion.

Notably, The Times chose not to endorse Bernie Sanders or Joe Biden, two candidates who have polled consistently on top in recent months.

The paper cites Sanders’ and Biden’s ages (78 and 77, respectively) as an impediment to their electability.

“It is time for him to pass the torch to a new generation of political leaders,” the paper wrote.

The paper described Warren and Klobuchar as representatives of both front-runners’ ideologies, while also breathing new life into the debate.

According to The Times, Warren is seen as a standard-bearer for progressives within the Democratic party, while Klobuchar has emerged as the representative for moderate Democrats.

The paper also praised Pete Buttigieg for his “all-star resume” and said he shows “tremendous promise,” while Andrew Yang was referred to as “an engaging and enthusiastic candidate whose diagnoses are often thought-provoking.”

Insider has been polling the 2020 Democratic primary field and found that the Democratic voters remain divided, particularly among age, race, and gender.

According to Insider’s polling, Warren and Klobuchar do particularly well among women, while Yang, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Sanders do better among men.

According to age, Sanders and Yang do best among young people, while Buttigieg and Biden do well among senior voters.

And in terms of race, Warren does well among Caucasian respondents, while Biden does best among Black respondents, and Sanders and Yang do best among Asian Democrats.