Sunday, October 18, 2009
Endorsements are just one part of the equation
Dan Radmacher
Recent columns
- Heading back to the debate in Appalachia
- Redistricting process must be taken from pols
- A shutdown remains a very real possibility
- U.S. Navy Vets case argues for campaign limits
From the RoundTable blog
As the Nov. 3 election nears, Roanoke Times Editorial Board members have been going through our normal pre-election routine of interviewing candidates in contested races to help us determine who we should endorse.
This year's slate of state and local candidates added up to more than 50 interviews. As usual, these candidates have included a rich variety of individuals, and the interviews have been alternatively interesting, amusing (at times unintentionally so), frustrating and enlightening.
The interviews give us an opportunity most voters don't have to probe candidates in-depth and at length about their views, political philosophy and knowledge. The exchanges are an integral part of our decision-making process -- which is one reason why we won't consider endorsing a candidate who has refused to meet with us.
As happens most election years, some readers will undoubtedly question why we make endorsements at all. They'll complain that doing so taints our news coverage, despite the fact that the newsroom has nothing whatsoever to do with the endorsements. Some will say we're trying to tell them what to think and who to vote for, though it's clear from letters and blog comments that our readers are pretty good at resisting falling under the spell of our mind-control devices.
Some newspapers have moved away from endorsements lately. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, for instance, recently announced that it would no longer endorse in any elections. "We have heard from readers -- and we agree -- that you don't need us to tell you how to vote," the newspaper announced in an editorial.
Here, we don't view our endorsements as telling readers how to vote any more than we view our editorials as telling readers how to think. In both cases, we believe the community benefits from exposure to a broad range of informed opinion, including ours. Do we believe the commonwealth would be a better place if we were always heeded? Certainly. Doesn't everyone with an opinion?
Do we expect to always prevail? Experience certainly beat any such expectation out of us long ago.
Our endorsement is simply one more factor for informed voters to consider. Those who routinely disagree with our editorial positions might be inclined to use our endorsements as a negative guide -- which is certainly their prerogative.
However, pure ideology doesn't guide our endorsement process, and I hope that knee-jerk reactions won't guide the response. We'll be as frank and honest as possible in our endorsements (which have already begun to run for local candidates in the New River Valley Current, and will begin soon on our daily editorial page).
We've met with some excellent candidates who, regardless of party or ideology, deserve serious consideration. We've met with others who are uninformed, misinformed or ill-informed. Their desire to serve is admirable. Their ability to serve effectively is questionable.
If our decision is based only on ideological preference, we'll let you know. If it's based on questions of competence, we'll make sure that's clear, too.
I would like to thank all those candidates who took the time to meet with us, and who have put themselves on the line in the name of public service.
Not every candidate is driven by selfless motives. But the vast majority of the people we talked to seemed to have a genuine interest in public service rather than personal aggrandizement or enrichment.
Running for office takes an incredible commitment of time, money and energy. Candidates open themselves up to ridicule, mudslinging and personal attacks. Their reward if they win is often a part-time job that offers precious little compensation for an awful lot of work.
I have tremendous respect for all those who put themselves through a campaign -- even those who we may decide are not up to the job.
The endorsement process is long, involved and extremely time-consuming. Every year, it eats up large chunks of our day for weeks on end.
We believe it's all worthwhile. Whether or not you agree with the conclusion of the endorsements, I hope you find the information presented in them valuable in your own decision-making process.
Just as the candidates who put themselves out there deserve respect, so do voters who make the effort to inform themselves about the candidates and the issues.
Radmacher is the editorial page editor of The Roanoke Times.
