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ln the months and years following this year’s presidential election, Barnes and Noble may have to devote a whole section to the books that will be written about the 2024 campaign.
The “truth is stranger than fiction” battle for the presidency has come with more twists and turns than a season of the old TV hit - The West Wing.
One of many items that created a hubbub in the last week-and-a-half or so was the decision by a couple of notable publications - The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times - to withhold endorsements from this year’s presidential race.
The reaction in some circles has been palpable and indeed laughable. We believe it’s also a sign of some of the ills in today’s political world.
We’ve long believed that newspaper endorsements for particular candidates are both meaningless and more than a bit pretentious.
This publication has never endorsed candidates and our reasoning is somewhat simple: we don’t believe in telling people how to vote.
Endorsements also run afoul of a basic premise of even-handedness when it comes to campaigns for higher office.
The outrage that has come with the decisions in Washington and Los Angeles has been accompanied by some staff resignations, subscription cancellations and moralistic chest-puffing that reeks of elitism or something worse.
There was an expectation if not a demand that a candidate be endorsed for president, and we find that to be wrong, no matter who is on the ballot.
It’s flat out unseemly, suggesting straight out there’s only one candidate to consider and anything other than that decision is unworthy.
The editorial page is one for all viewpoints, even those one may not agree with or may disagree with feverishly.
Let arguments stand or crumble under their own weight. Newspapers should not be the gatekeeper for deciding which viewpoints are to be considered or published.
We take pride that the Ely Echo has always had a lively opinion page, one that has won awards at the state level.
Whether the issue is copper-nickel mining, who’s running for president or the Silver Rapids Lodge expansion, we’ve made room for all sides to be heard.
And while newspapers, including this one, often take editorial stands on issues of the day - we do believe it’s a step too far to tell people who to vote for.
That’s a precious right, and responsibility. And it’s one that we believe belongs to each individual, to choose candidates as he or she sees fit.
That’s why our only endorsement this week is this: Make the most of your right to vote. Consider the candidates, the issues and cast your ballot however you believe.
Your vote belongs to you and only you. Not your neighbor. Not your local newspaper. And certainly not a newspaper editorial board on the east or west coast.
