The Des Moines Register, Iowa's largest newspaper, has endorsed Mitt Romney as the "most qualified candidate" running in the Iowa Caucuses.

The newspaper cited Romney's "Sobriety, wisdom and judgment" as reasons for their endorsement.

Des Moines Register:

Those are qualities Mitt Romney said he looks for in a leader. Those are qualities Romney himself has demonstrated in his career in business, public service and government. Those qualities help the former Massachusetts governor stand out as the most qualified Republican candidate competing in the Iowa caucuses.

Sobriety: While other candidates have pandered to extremes with attacks on the courts and sermons on Christian values, Romney has pointedly refrained from reckless rhetoric and moralizing. He may be accused of being too cautious, but choosing words carefully is a skill essential for anyone who could be sitting in the White House and reacting to world events.

Wisdom: Romney obviously is very smart. He graduated as valedictorian at Brigham Young University and finished in the top 5 percent in his MBA class at Harvard, where he also earned a law degree. Romney also exhibits the wisdom of a man who listened and learned from his father and his mother, from his church and from his own trials and errors in life. He does not lack self confidence, but he is not afraid to admit when he has been wrong.

Judgment: Romney disagrees with Democrats on most issues, but he offers smart and well-reasoned alternatives rather than simply proposing to swing a wrecking ball in Washington. He is a serious student of public policy who examines the data before making a decision. His detailed policy paper on the economy contains 87 pages of carefully crafted positions on taxes, energy, trade and regulatory policy, complete with 127 footnotes.

With a little more than two weeks to go before caucus night and Romney lagging in the polls, this endorsement might give him a small boost with the undecideds. Of far more importance is the re-examination by Iowans of New Gingrich and his apparent fall off in support over the last few days. Romney may gain far more from former Gingrich supporters than from the endorsement by the Register.