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Have you missed our election endorsements?
By ChrisCobler in Your Advocate: an editor's blog
October 28, 2008

Less than a week from Election Day, only one reader has asked me when the Advocate's editorial board will offer an endorsement in the presidential race. Perhaps that's because everyone interested read the small explanation we've published regularly on the Viewpoints page.

More likely, though, I suspect it's because only a few these days find newspaper endorsements particularly helpful in making up their minds. Particularly in the presidential race when so much information is available from many sources, how relevant is the opinion of your hometown newspaper's editorial board?

When I blogged about this topic in February, we had a lively conversation. Some said endorsements lowered their opinion of the newspaper. Others said newspapers had a First Amendment obligation to make them.

The Advocate's longstanding tradition has been to not offer endorsements in local races on the belief that interested voters can get to know their local candidates. We have in the past endorsed in state and national races.

This year, though, we decided to focus on explanations rather than endorsements. We've published on the Viewpoints page candidate question-and-answers compiled by state and local League of Women Voters. We also have published  information about the local candidates on our news pages in print and online at Election Central.

We hope you take advantage of these resources and all others available to you. Get informed. Make a difference. Vote.

And tune in Tuesday night to VictoriaAdvocate.com for live election results brought to you by multimedia news director Bill Clough and the rest of our news team.

Comments


  • ChrisCobler ChrisCobler Report a ViolationReport a Violation
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    South Texas,

    Editorial board members haven't discussed which presidential candidate we would endorse because of our decision this year to offer explanations instead. However, I suspect any endorsement would have been for McCain. If you're confusing your hometown newspaper with Sean Penn or Barbra Streisand, I see some flaws in your logic.

    I agree Hollywood endorsements shouldn't mean much to any thinking person. The actors are free to have their opinions in our great nation, but I don't know why you'd listen just because Streisand has a beautiful voice. My favorite song of hers is "People." Thanks for making me think of the soundtrack to my early childhood days.

    October 30, 2008 at 9:49 a.m.

  • southtexas southtexas Report a ViolationReport a Violation
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    The Advocate doesn't have to print it's endorsements, at least on the presidential level.....Obama for sure.  That would be like saying, "Gee, I wonder who MSNBC is going to endorse....what a mystery?"

    I'm with Alton.....some endorsements most assuredly have a negative effect.  If Sean Penn and Barbra Streisand say they are endorsing someone....they are definitely on the "do not vote for" list!  Martha Stewart just endorsed Obama....another reason not to vote for him.

    October 30, 2008 at 9:28 a.m.

  • ChrisCobler ChrisCobler Report a ViolationReport a Violation
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    Alton,

    So, do you miss our endorsements? It sounds as if you found them useful, albeit in a negative way. How do you decide which candidate to dislike now?

    October 30, 2008 at 8:20 a.m.

  • AltonEaston AltonEaston Report a ViolationReport a Violation
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    Personally I have never voted for someone based upon an endorsement, however, I have looked at some endorsements as a negative strike against an candidate that I may have been considering for a position. 

    October 28, 2008 at 10:10 p.m.