In the wake of yesterday's election, we'll shine the spotlight on a couple of Standard-Examiner guest commentaries which deal with nuts-and-bolts issues surrounding national and local elections:
First, Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Michael Smerconish furnishes a thoughtful essay urging U.S. newspapers to abandon the practice of offering candidate endorsements, arguing that "[b]y pursuing a partisan, presumptuous path on the editorial page, newspapers encourage questions about their objectivity elsewhere and put themselves on a level with other mediums that have cheapened the civic debate":
• Papers should leave endorsing to othersOur home town newspaper published a six-article election endorsement series during the two weeks preceding yesterday's general election; yet when the final results in these select races rolled in, the Standard only went 3 for 6.
Mr. Smerconish urges U.S. newspapers to put themselves on a pedestal and avoid emulating the practices of those crass media sources he characterises as "a partisan cacophony," e.g., "Cable TV, talk radio, the blogosphere, Facebook, and Twitter," etc.
So what about it, gentle readers? Did the Standard's endorsement series add useful analysis to the 2010 election debate? Or did this editorial series at least to some extent "erode its readership's perception" of the Standard's overall "objectivity" and bring itself down to the level of the partisan alternate media rabble? In the future should the Standard-Examiner continue the practice of endorsing political candidates? Or in the alternative, should the Standard abandon the practice and hold itself above the fray?
Also notable this morning is former GOP insider and West Haven resident Lynn M. Hansen's guest editorial piece, making the observation that (as "we have [all] come to recognize") "in large measure, it is money that buys votes, not the candidates' positions on issues."
Check it out, WCF readers. Yeah, its familiar WCF-topical territory. But all-in-all we believe its a pretty good read nevetheless ... a little something, perhaps, to help work through your election post partum blues?
• Campaigns: It's all about moneyThat's it for now, folks.
Your thoughtful comments are invited, as always.
14 comments:
Einstein's definition of insanity - doing the same thing and expecting different results.
These results sadden me.
The Standard should quit doing endorsements, period!
Who cares what the lame SE Editorial board "thinks"?
Happy to see the Neil Hansen defeat... He was an embarassment.
I hate to see Neil go.
Looks like Republicans were the only voters to show up.
But the ethics thing passed . . .
Mr. Petersen will be a good representative for Ogden.
We could have done way worse in a Republican.
An interesting little election drama here in a Davis County senate race wherein the winner - Republican Stuart Adams - a disingenuous character very much in the mold of Stuart Read - proclaimed that “I had very able challengers,” even tho Adams won by a margin of 71% to 28% over his only rival, a fellow named Hansen from the Constitution Party, (no Democrats entered) - who's main campaign message was - quoting from the Davis Clipper:
"Hansen said he did two things he thought were interesting that may have influenced voters: He placed a minuteman on his signs, representing the idea that we should oppose the federal government; and he conducted a telephone campaign telling people it is their constitutional duty to not obey the law."
It sounds pretty whacky at first, but after you think about it there is a certain amount of realty to the concept of a total bat shit crazy politico rivaling your average Utah Republican!
Dead woman elected to State Senate by Los Angeles voters
Founding Fathers Discuss The Constitution
Can you be a good Mormon and a Republican in Utah?
Watching the politics in this state over the last 30 years, I have come to realize the Republican Party has become the party of hypocrites. Let me explain.
When President Clinton had an affair in the White House, the Republicans wanted to impeach him. But here in Utah when Republican politicians have been inappropriate and immoral in their actions, they have still been supported, as if nothing has happened.
As Utah has been run by the Republican Party and been the super majority for the past 30 years, it’s time for an accounting of all the corruption they have been involved in. These facts have been reported in the news over the past ten years alone.
A Republican House member Calvin Bird was caught with a female prostitute. One year later, another Republican House member Brent Parker was caught with a male prostitute. Then another Republican House member bribed other legislators with $50,000 campaign contributions for their vote in favor of the voucher bill. Then remember the 2002 Olympics and all the bribery that went on for years. Next, Republican Mark Walker, who ran for State Treasurer, tried to buy off his primary opponent with a job and pay increase that he said he could get passed through the legislature, and who knows which legislator was going to help him get that passed.
Recently, the Republican Senate majority leader Sheldon Killpack was arrested for drunk driving. To top it off, the Republican House majority leader Kevin Garn confessed he was naked in a hot tub with a 15-year old girl. Remember he also paid her $150,000 to keep quiet so he could run for Congress that year. Immediately following that confession, the Republican Speaker of the House Dave Clark initiated a standing ovation for Kevin Garn on the House floor.
It’s obvious these Republicans are living with the consequences of their decisions, but what frustrates me most is the attitude of political entitlement and lack of moral integrity. Publicly, they say and do what you want to hear, but behind closed doors their actions speak louder than words, thus the hypocrisy and corruption. Personally, I would be ashamed to belong to a party that publicly or privately condones criminal and immoral acts of its members.
Thank goodness we have options! Good Democrats and good Mormons are alive and well in this state. Along with many others, I’m proud to be a Democrat and can hold my head high in belonging to a party that genuinely cares about people and stands for accountability.
I think it’s time to clean house in the Utah State Legislature and elect Democrats for a change.
P.S. and this says it all.
The people of Utah we so upset with the standing ovation for Kevin Garn and the drunk driving of Sheldon Killpack, that they then went out and gave the Republican party a standing ovation of their own by voting for all the republicans in this state.
J.P#9, This makes me have second thoughts on what really counts as Utah values.
JP:
Sorry to report, it ain't just Utah. US Sen. Vitter [R-Louisiana] was caught hiring the same prostitutes as Elliot Spitzer, former governor of NY [D]. Spitzer of course resigned in disgrace. Vitter didn't. Nor did he lose any of his committew assignments. And the Rep. Party nominated him again, he ran again, and won... on a family values platform, or course. The question of whether his wife now dresses him in diapers as the prostitute used to to turn him on didn't come up in the campaign.
And of course there's US Sen Ensign [R, Nevada] who lived in a tax free townhouse as part of a legislative Christian Outreach group in DC. He was caught sleeping with his campaign managers wife, paid the guy off with a job provided by a friend in business, plus cash. It all came out in a very messy press story. Ensign refused to resign. He's still in the Senate. He was not stripped of his seniority or committee assignments by the Republicans. Need I add he speaks often [as does Vitter} on the importance of protecting the sanctity of marriage?
Then there was Tea Party Republican candidate for the US Senate Angle, who barely missed unseating Read. Asked if she could approve at least of abortion for a fifteen year old girl who had been raped and impregnated by her father she said no because "that might be God's plan for that child." She too of course ran as a defender of family values.
So it ain't just Utah.
Your right Curm.
But here in Utah these mormons where their religion on their sleaves and point the finger at the democrats and say you can't be a good mormon and a democrat.
This is what this post is about is the hypocracy here in Utah.
J.P
There are wolves in sheep's clothing in every religion, party or group. When they are exposed for who they are, we should blame the wolves for their actions, not the sheep.
I'm glad Jeremy Peterson won this election. Utah doesn't have enough Republican realtors in their mix. Plus, he shares an office with G-Train Sue Wilkerson. What else could one ask for in representation?
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