Political endorsements. Do they make a difference in the results of elections? Many newspaper editors seem to think they do, as they proudly continue to put ink to paper each election cycle, touting who they think will be the best people for the job. Maybe not surprisingly, those choices are typically Democrats. And, maybe not surprisingly, Republicans (and some independents) have grown tiresome of reading those endorsements, and many quit subscribing to newspapers. Regardless of what type of business you are in, if you anger one-third to one-half of your customers, you won’t be around for long.

Professional basketball player Michael Jordan, in his peak of popularity, was approached by U.S. Senate hopeful Harvey Gantt, a Black politician who was running against Jesse Helms in North Carolina, Jordan’s home state. Gantt hoped that Jordan's name would help him defeat Helms, who was regarded by many as a racist. Jordan declined. He said he wasn’t into politics and didn’t know the issues, also stating, “Republicans buy shoes, too.” You may agree or disagree with his reply, but one can’t argue with Jordan’s success on and off the court.

The newspapers and publications I have directly owned or managed through the years have never endorsed political candidates, and we won't be starting now. There are several reasons.

First, our editorial team couldn’t collectively agree on many candidates. We have a wide range of political views, and that’s the way it should be if you want to have an unbiased and unslanted newsroom. Yes, I could force my personal choices into our picks, but I wouldn’t do that, which leads me to my next point.

Second, I know you really don’t care who I think should be elected, and that’s a good thing, too. What makes me the expert? I haven’t walked in your shoes, and you haven’t walked in mine. So, how would either one of us know what is better for the other person? Most all of us get one ballot, and we get to decide how we use it.

Third, and back to my point in the first paragraph, why would I want to alienate a large chunk of our readers or advertisers by forcing my choice of a political candidate down their throats? To be honest, I am sometimes not sure who I am going to vote for until the day I go to the polls. Some of you straight-ticket voters may find that apprehensible. Others of you are clearly in the same boat as me, which is apparent by the mass amount of political advertising being marketed to us in the final weeks before most any major election.

Being a politician at any level for any party is not an easy job in today’s toxic environment. Simply put, the haters will hate. Social media has been gasoline in this political fire, and it is clearly not making us more understanding of each other. So don’t look for political endorsements here or in any of our publications. I have confidence you can make the decision that is best for you on your own.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, and thank you for reading.

Shane Goodman 

President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com

View Shane Goodman's archived columns from past issues here.

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