Choosing among what it called a weak field of Republicans "was a hard decision," the newspaper said. "In most respects, Mr. Huckabee … is not dramatically different from his main GOP competitors."

But Huckabee sets himself apart, the newspaper said, with his fiscal "prudence." On social issues, his rhetoric may be alarming, the Morning News editorial staff added, but his record as governor showed no corresponding extreme policies.

Among Democrats, the editors wrote, the decision came down to finalists Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., who could both be historic firsts because of Obama's race and Clinton's gender.

Obama, however, won out because of his ability to build bridges, the newspaper said. "Americans are tired of divisive, hard-edged politics. Democrats would inspire a refreshingly new approach by choosing Mr. Obama as their 2008 candidate."

The senator's race could be an opportunity for racial healing, while his time spent as a youth in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, could bring a new perspective to Middle East policy.