Two Sundays before the Nov. 2 presidential election, The Virginian-Pilot will make endorsements in state races and for president.
The publics curiosity, doubtless, centers on the race for the White House. Will The Pilot endorse President George W. Bush or Sen. John F. Kerry?
In 2000, the paper favored Al Gore over Bush, who lost the popular vote but bested his Democratic challenger in electoral votes in a race that was ultimately decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
This time around, The Pilot will endorse … Hey, you didnt really think I was going to tell you, did you? I cant. No decision has been made.
Some newspapers endorsed E-A-R-L-Y. The Philadelphia Daily News tapped Kerry in June, while The Seattle Times, which endorsed Bush in 2000, said in August that it couldnt do so again because of an ill-conceived war and its aftermath, undisciplined spending, a shrinkage of constitutional rights and an intrusive social agenda. And you probably heard that Bushs hometown weekly in Crawford, Texas, also preferred Kerry.
Both Pilot editorial page editor Dennis A. Hartig and publisher D.R. Carpenter III are puzzled by the early endorsements.
I dont know how you could make an early endorsement, says Carpenter. Certainly you lean one way or another, but if you had endorsed early, so many things have happened since then that would influence a decision.
Says Hartig: Its too premature to run an endorsement before hearing the candidates debate, for example. Thats a pivotal moment that should be factored into the equation along with the candidates record, character and positions on the issues.
An early endorsement may taint news coverage and future editorials about the presidential race in the minds of some readers.
Newsrooms and editorial departments are traditionally separate operations. And when it comes to editorial endorsements, Pilot editor Kay Tucker Addis and her newsroom colleagues wont have a say in them.
The Editorial Board will consider the endorsements. Besides Carpenter and Hartig, the members are Roger Chesley, associate editor; Margaret Edds, Bronwyn Lance Chester and Donald Luzzatto, editorial writers.
They interview state candidates and/or their representatives and reach a consensus, usually with one writer taking the lead on crafting an endorsement on individual races.
In the case of the presidential endorsement, the board members will discuss the candidates and the issues, with Hartig and Carpenter making the final decision.
Who has the final say?
I do, says Carpenter. In the end, its my call. But for the most part, they [editorial board members] win. Says Hartig: We speak with a single voice, but he [Carpenter] gives a lot of weight to my recommendations.
Some critical readers have asked in the past if the Battens Frank , retired chairman and CEO of Landmark Communications Inc.; and Frank Jr., chairman of the board and CEO dictate choices.
They own the paper; they have every right to say who they want or dont want to endorse, says Carpenter. But neither has said, ‘You will endorse so and so, he adds. In fact, Carpenter says he hasnt had any endorsement discussions with the two this year.
Hartig, who will be making his first presidential endorsement, says the Battens have not been involved in any issue since he became editorial page editor in 2002.
Do newspaper political endorsements matter?
Studies show that they carry some clout in local and state elections. But a survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found that 83 percent of the respondents said newspaper endorsements didnt influence their vote. Even among those influenced by editorials, an even number were just as likely to vote against the endorsed candidate.
So why do newspapers continue to make endorsements?
Hartig thinks readers expect them and for good reason, he says. When a reader pays 50 cents for the paper, he expects the editorial page to make a judgment about public choices. Is there a more important choice than voting for president?
Both Hartig and Carpenter agree that endorsements have more influence in local School Board, City Council and General Assembly elections where the issues and candidates are less known than they do in federal elections.
Readers often complain that The Pilots editorial page is liberal or too liberal.
This perception will surely cloud their assessment of the papers willingness to consider Bush and Kerry objectively.
A good editorial page should challenge the status quo and be skeptical of the people in power, Hartig says. Republicans run everything, so many Republicans dismiss us as liberal.
Carpenter sees the page as being centrist on financial and economic issues (We want a fiscally responsible state) and somewhat left of center on social issues.
Hartig notes that the editorial page has opposed the death penalty, school vouchers and supported affirmative action in college admissions, the assault weapons ban, environmental regulations such as automobile mileage standards, and protections for civil liberties. These could be found in any Democratic platform, Hartig says.
But the page has supported No Child Left Behind reforms, a balanced budget and the need for pension and entitlement reform positions that, Hartig says, are much closer to Republican views. Well, these used to be Republican views.
And weve got a few, such as our opposition to prescription drug benefits, that nobody claims.
All that said, whom do you think The Pilot will endorse?
