 Todd DormanTodd Dorman is a columnist for The Gazette. His blog has been bringing smiles to readers' faces since November 2007. |
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An endorsement for endorsements
Often, newspaper endorsements are not universally endorsed. Shocking, I know.
Some folks think we make lousy picks. Others believe we shouldn’t be picking at all. A few are elated by our decisions. Many of them work for the candidates we chose.
Endorsements got a lot of attention this week. The Des Moines Register shocked some folks by picking Mitt Romney for president. We shocked almost no one by also picking Romney. I’m told that, since the 1940s, The Gazette has backed every Republican nominee, except in 1992, when we picked Ross Perot.
But should we bother?
Speaking for myself, as one member of the editorial board, which does the picking, I say yes.
We’re an institution that has public opinions, almost daily. Those opinions are expressed by the editorial board, which is a completely separate entity from the reporters who cover campaigns. We consult their work as we size up the candidates, but they don’t consult us on coverage.
And as an editorial board, we express editorial opinions on all sorts of policy issues, state, local and national. So I think we also should have opinions on who is going to be making those policies. And I’d argue the process leading up to our endorsements, which includes several weeks of interviews with candidates up and down the ballot, is more important than the final outcome. Being engaged in the electoral process helps us take better-informed and thoughtful editorial stands after the election.
And it’s important to consider what endorsements are not. They’re not voting instructions. They’re not guidance for political coverage. They’re not predictions. They’re not publicity ploys. They are simply the editorial board’s preferences, announced as many of our readers prepare to make their own important choices. Do we always agree on who to pick? Nope. This year’s presidential endorsement sparked a lengthy, spirited debate and yielded a very close vote. And I think that reflects the fact that our endorsements are not some elite pronouncement from on high. We struggle with this stuff like a lot of voters.
And I think going through that struggle and having to make a tough call gives us a better appreciation for candidates and voters who are now navigating a treacherous political landscape.
Some newspapers have stopped doing endorsements, perhaps hoping to stay above the fray. But the fray is where issues we care about are being shaped, so I believe we should be in there, too.
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I have no objection to a newspaper publishing endorsements. However, don’t expect it to influence many people. There are so many sources of information today that the influence and importance of the newspaper endorsement has diminished severely in the last few years. The newspaper endorsement is yesterday’s concept.
I can only tell you Todd I would not endorse the CR Editorial Board. It does a poor job of covering the news, filtering and selecting material based on its agenda.
Todd, tell us how you can vote to endorse a candidate who:
- In this economy has not named a Secretary of Commerce? Don’t you think a Secretary of Commerce might have some impact on the economy?
- We hear now that Obama did not egage the joint counter-terroism council on the evening of September 11, 2012 when hte American Ambassador was killed in a terrorist attack on the US Consulate in Libya.
Obama abandoned Americans in Benghazi and the CR Gazette cannot even purse its lips – you should be ashamed.
Mr Ellis,
The Gazette did not endorse Obama. The Gazette endorsed Romney.
It seems, Todd Dorman, that those engage in Outrage, engage in it for it’s own sake. Which means that it doesn’t matter whether the rest of us feed the Outrage Industry or not.
“those engage in Outrage, engage in it for it’s own sake. ”
When a President abandons its citizens on the battlefield you should be outraged and ashamed. You apparently have no decency or empathy for the people who serve this Nation when you can ignore a crime of this magnitude.
Mr Ellis,
What on earth are you talking about
“not named a Secretary of Commerce”? I think Secretary of Commerce, Rebecca Blank, would be surprised to read this.
You might note that President Obama has actually appointed 3 Secretaries of Commerce. The first, Gary Locke, resigned to become the Ambassador to China. The second, John Bryson, took a medical leave of absence. The third, Bebecca Blank continues to serve.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Secretary_of_Commerce
Hard to believe the Gazette endorsed Romney when their number one daily editorial rant is same-sex marriage. Perhaps if Romney actually get’s elected they will print more stories relative to the majority of mainstream America instead of catering to the minority of the local. I won’t hold my breath…………..
Like I said, those who engage in Outrage, engage in it for it’s own sake
Maybe the Gazette could write an article on the New York marathoners kicking people out of hotels with no place to go, or Unions kicking out non union electric compainies from New Jersey as people freeze to death and no gas to run generators, or the hords of animals descending upon Jersey shores to loot boats and homes with zero police protection.
Mr Ahart,
The Marathon was cancelled yesterday morning. It was the idea of the NYC Chamber to run it anyway, citing the estimated $200,000,000 in tourist revenue this Marathon brings in each year. Common sense apparently prevailed. It’s no longer an issue
As for the rest of your po,t looters have arrested but local police are reporting situation under control. Who do I believe? them or you.
Besides that, how are looting hoards getting into the area. Traffic is backed up to the Pennsylvania border.
Unions kicking out non unioon electricians? Not a chance.
And as for your gratuitous union bashing, those first responders, the police and fire fighters and emergency medical, that people like you like to call “heros” are union people, risking their lives.
So if you would, stop insulting them.
Thank you
The New York Marathon was cancelled due to presure from the Obama campaign. It looked sooo bad, it revealed their common sense of drunk ducks on steroinds, and could lose votes nationwide………but in their stupidity the damage has already been done. The battle over union work has just begun and the electrical unions will let people die before they give up work to a non union company. The only “union bashing” is a made up lie in Roberta’s mind. Maybe one day she will print some truth……..don’t hold your breath.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/hurricane-devastated-nj-town-rejects-non-union-alabama-electrical-workers/
Dave,
The link you provided is to a political news website owned and operated by Glen Beck who was fired by FOX News for being way too ’round the bend even for them.
Come up with a better source than the ravings of the certifiably committable. Please
As for your first assertion, do not ever claim that you have ever been to New York or have ever had any significant dealings with people from there. The very idea that New Yorkers would be quietly sitting there waiting to be rescued from an ill-advised decision to continue with a sports event is ludicrous beyond words. New Yorkers aren’t Iowa nice. Got it.
Roberta: i lived on the east coast for seven years. I’m not “Iowa nice” thank you. I am not however Chicago scum.
I guess David is not up to date on mainstream America. He probably does not know that a majority of Americans now support same sex marriage and the level of support continues to grow.
A June 6, 2012 CNC/ORC international poll showed that 54% of Americans support same sex marriage while 42% opposed.
A May 22, 2012 NBC/Wall Street Journal poll showed 54% of Americans support same sex marriage while 40% opposed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_opinion_of_same-sex_marriage_in_the_United_States
Obviously Greer did not read, or comprehend, my post. Typical.
You very clearly implied that mainstream America is opposed to same sex marriage. I assumed that you did not know that the majority of Americans support same sex marriage. I was doing you a favor by pointing this out to you. No “thank you” is necessary.
Maybe the Gazette can do an article on Obama 2016. You all can watch it here.
http://butthurt.co/obama/2016/
“. . . daily editorial rant is same-sex marriage.” Have you kept track — how many such daily rants were there in October? Keep track in November and then tell us how may there were (article and date). But that would require establishing facts by the accumulation of supporting data, not something ideologues favor. I don’t expect it to happen.
The election as about the economic incompetence of the Obama administration. Its about failed policys where:
- Millions more Americans are in poverty.
- The same number of people are employed as there were in 2009 but 15 million more are on food stamps.
- the federal deficit is exploding
- gasoline and energy prices have risen dramatically and will continue to do so if President Obama is re-elected.
Liberalsand Democrats obviously have no compassion for those on poverty living on food stamps and without a future.
Mr Ellis,
The Gazette endorsed Romney. The Gazette did not endorse Obama.
Would it be at all possible for you to stay on topic?
As for your list, I could go point by point except I don’t see the point.. However, just out of curiosity, I assume you are aware of Romney’s recent claim that Obama sold Chrysler to the Italians (just prior to the Recession, Chrysler was owned by the Germans—Chrysler Daimler) who were going to shut down all their American plants and move them to China. Which was a lie from start to finish, had a lot of people very upset, and will likely cost Romney whatever chance he might have had to win this election.
You’ve posted Republican Party talking points. How can you take seriously talking points fed you by such a liar. How can you expect the rest of us to take them seriously.
I can grant the Gazette the right to endorse whomever the editorial board pleases, but the fact that they’ve gone Republican, at least for presidential candidates, for the last sixty eight years is troubling.
The Gazette serves the Iowa City/ Cedar Rapids Corridor, but it seems to me that it is ignoring the needs and interests of the people who live in this area in doing so.
Especially endorsing Romney
The Corridor is, arguably, the most prosperous region in the state. That prosperity, especially in Iowa City, rests squarely on state government (UI/UIHC) as the major employer. UI/UIHC generates another 50 to 60 thousand jobs in the Corridor. In Cedar Rapids Rockwell Collins (“we never forget that the world’s leading aerospace and defense companies rely on us for smart communications and aviation electronics solutions”) is a major employer.
Yet you endorse a candidate who campaigns on a promise of small government and cutting government spending in major ways.
You serve a region with an aging population increasingly dependent on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, housing assistance, and a slew of other programs
Yet you endorse a candidate, and his running mate, who has advocated for privatizing Social Security and replacing Medicare with vouchers.
You serve a region in a state heavily dependent on agriculture.
Yet you endorse a candidate who has advocating cutting the budget for the Department of Agriculture
You serve a region that prides itself on the quality of its schools.
Yet you endorse a candidate who has said that class size has no effect on the quality of teaching
You serve a region that four years ago was six feet under water in the worst flood in the state’s history.
Yet you endorse a candidate who was recently caught sayiing that he would defund FEMA and turn that money back to the states. Or, better yet, back to the private sector to deal with disasters.
My question to the editorial board is are you people stark raving mad?
Iowa has a budjet of approximately 6 billion dollars per year with over half of that going toward “entitelments”…….that fancy Liberal word for “welfare”. That large “swooshing” sound we hear in the corridor is taxpayers cash being flushed down the toilet with no return on investment.
The Gazette has been quite generous…..overly so…..catering to the liberal agenda for the last four years. We are long past time for “change we can believe” in and for Libs to take a back seat for their proven failed policies which guarantee a direction for national disaster both here and abroad. It’s quite obvious who is “stark raving mad” and it not the Gazette. Move on.
Dave
The State of Iowa is spending $3 billion on welfare? I find that very hard to believe. Do you have a source for that?
You do understand that the overwhelming vast majority of entitlement spending is for Social Security and MediCare, both of which are federal, not state. Can you tell the difference? or do you care.
I am MAD and I am able to compare where I at financially today to where I was four yrs ago. I also know how my parents business has suffered. Four yrs ago I had hope for change and a great uniter…. When I saw the “backroom partisan” planning and the sweetheart deals to states for there support for the affordable healthcare act, the sketchy response from the department of justice to border patrol agent Brian A. Terry and another sketchy deal in Libya…. I don’t understand why the “we didn’t know” reply was thought to be a good strategy. Eric Holder must have given lesson to the executive branch within hrs of the Benghazi attach. I knew there was no change, When an administration talks one way and does something else…. people have a right to be MAD. I think that the race is not as close as what some/most national media outlets are reporting. Endorsements don’t mean much, nor do campaign speeches/promises or media coverage of these events to people who actually think about their vote. This includes Democrats/Liberals Republicans/Conservatives and Independents. It is time for a change. If Obama does win…God bless him for the mess he’ll inherit.
Short comment: No arguments on the last two sentences except all Democrats are not liberals nor all Republicans conservatives, and no matter who wins they’ll win a mess.
Well Cedric……..I’ll have to agree with the exception that all Democrats have become far left liberals. Lost their minds.
Todd,
I really really wish I knew what you were talking about.
Your parents’ business has suffered but it sounds like it’s still up and running. Would your parents’ business have done better under the kind of austerity programs favored by Republicans, specifically Romney?
Backroom “partisan” planning? I don’t know what that means. What specific planning are you referring to? Anything that would be out of the ordinary?
Sweetheart deals for states in exchange for support for ACA? Explain
Fast and Furious? You do know that was a sting operation that began while Bush was still president and that Holder shut it down as soon as he found out about it.
Libya? Nothing sketchy about it. Maintaining diplomatic relations with a country that has just gone through a violent revolution is risky. Demands for a complete release of the real and true facts, whatever that means, the instant an incident hits breaking news is unreasonable .
You have a right to be mad. but you also have an obligation to use your brain for what God designed it to do which is to think. So the world isn’t the way you want it to be? Too bad. Join the club.
Now deal with it.