Newspaper Endorsements Begin

Huge for Bennet

These endorsements are really a big win for Bennet.  As ballots start arriving in mailboxes, people will be turning to newspapers like the Post and Herald for guidance.

This is another boost to Bennet's campaign just when it matters most.

Have noticed that Romanoff his not only continued his negative, shallow attacks on Bennet but is attacking the Post too.  

Smart play, Andy.  Smart play.

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by: CityParkRebel @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 17:50:14 PM UTC

where does he attack the Post?

Please find something, anything to back up your claim.  I'll save you the trouble -- I'm pretty sure you're just making it up.

And you really think people turn to the Post for shit?  I mean maybe literally shit.  It functions as a rough toilet paper in a pinch, but that's about it.  I would think the editor of Pols would tend to agree on that point ;)

Sorry Michael Bennet, but I'm a real person too

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by: StrykerK2 @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 18:14:27 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Sirota

Heard Romanoff on Sirota this morning bashing the Post.

Regardless, Bennet is gaining speed just when it matters most.

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by: CityParkRebel @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 18:18:54 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

uhhh...what now?

is "I heard it on the radio" really the new Bennet staffer supporter battle cry?

Yeah...gaining momentum.  Like the media attention around selling access.  Or the media attention around his vote switching.  HINT: not the type of momentum you need.

Sorry Michael Bennet, but I'm a real person too

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by: StrykerK2 @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 18:23:24 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Pretty sure I heard it too

start at 31:00
http://a1135.g.akamai.net/f/11...

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by: MADCO @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 18:38:52 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yep, I heard it too

Thanks for the link.


Today, you're either going to get better or you're going to get worse, but you're never going to be the same.  Which one will it be?  --Joseph V. Paterno

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by: Ralphie @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 18:43:57 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

And there it is! The predictable StrykerK2 attack:

The ol' "I don't like what you say so I'll insinuate that you work for Bennet" dig. You gotta let that go. Has any Bennet supporter on this site not been accused of that by you?

"But, when it comes to voting, when we only have two choices, you've got to grow up and realize there's a big difference between a disappointing friend and a deadly enemy" - Bill Maher

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by: EmeraldKnight76 @ Tue Jul 20, 2010 at 06:39:10 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Just to be sure I understand you, Stryker

The Denver Post's endorsement is meaningless and won't affect any votes.
The Colorado Springs Independent, on the other hand, is stupendously important, a real game changer, and about wraps it up for AR.
  Is that about right?

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by: Voyageur @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 18:41:02 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

You are geting the hand of it V

Recall- the Post didn't endorse Bennet until after Romanoff announced.

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by: MADCO @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 18:59:26 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Did you read both?

Did you read both the p*&st endorsement and the CS Indy? The Indy gave a long thought out analysis of both and in the end made a very compelling argument for Romanoff. The P&^st said Bennet has not been very independent and has been disappointing but they really think he might change and become good. Their basis for that? His "success" reforming DPS which there are a lot of questions about and his "brilliance" with the DPS budget which there are also a lot of questions about. So a newspaper that has advocated for school vouchers and charter schools likes Bennet and the same paper who advocates more free-market capitalism and financial wizardry likes what Bennet learned to do to people at Anschutz? Yea, OK, ringing endorsement.

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by: JeffcoTrueBlue @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 19:00:02 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

agreed

I actually just posted something similar below, and then noticed Voyageur calling me out on this.

I concur that it doesn't just matter who they say, but what they say about them.

Sorry Michael Bennet, but I'm a real person too

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by: StrykerK2 @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 19:01:36 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Just once, be honest, stryker

Good for Romanoff, good journalism.
Bad for Romanoff, bad journalism.
it's a simple formula--if you're a mindless shill, that is.

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by: Voyageur @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 21:39:54 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Not sure.

JIT for  ballots to go in the mail, the big paper endorsed in both the D & R primaries.

They endorsed Bennet - as do I - and  Norton.   Comparing the two endorsements it strikes me that if we get Norton/Bennet they will endorse Norton, though that comparison may be useless - in 2008 editorial board member Chuck Plunkett endorsed Hillary Clinton in the primary and then endorsed McCain in the general which seemed quite the reversal since Clinton and Obama were a lot closer on most issues than Clinton and McCain.

I'm not sure whether the major paper's  endorsement helps or hurts a candidate.  The comments online are somewhat telling.

Anyhoo- the D nominee will have my support whichever it is, since both are way closer to me on the key issues of the moment than either R candidate.  ( more on that later)  

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by: MADCO @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 18:24:10 PM UTC

Chuck Plunkett didn't make "endorsements," Madco

The Post endorsed Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney in their respective primaries.  Obviously, it couldn't go for both parties in the general.  In the general election, The Post endorsed Obama.  Whatever plunkett or other staffers may have written about a given candidate were their opinions, not those of the Editorial Board.  

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by: Voyageur @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 18:45:27 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I appreciate the technical difference.

Which IIIRC Plunket referenced in his non-endorsement endorsement.

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by: MADCO @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 18:56:50 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I think you're right,

But as I recall, Plunkett didnt do anything for Hillary, just McCain. The paper, after all, had endorsed Hillary and there would have been no point to Plunkett saying nice things about her too.  The McCain piec e was different The paper sometimes has an edit staffer give the losing side on a big endorsement.  Bob Ewegen and Julia Martinez did a column supporting John Kerry the same day the Post ran its George W. Bush endorsement.  There was a demonstration the next day protesting the endorsement and some signs read: "We love you, Bob and Julia."  '  

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by: Voyageur @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 21:35:09 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Do Newspaper Endorsements Matter?

http://www.inquisitr.com/6334/...

I liked this quote:

Of those who knew their newspaper's endorsement, 1 percent said it played a "great deal" and 10 percent said it played "somewhat" of a role in their voting decision. "Of that 11 percent, about a quarter had the endorsement wrong."

And this:

   "Newspaper endorsements tend to count for lower offices and offices people don't know much about," argues Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, of the University of Southern California. After all, it's hard for voters to get in-depth information about candidates for smaller races, such as city councils.

Its just like Further, but with tax cuts! - Fidel's Dirt Nap

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by: ajb @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 18:42:17 PM UTC

I agree re the inverse information-importance relationship.

The less the public knows about the candidates, the more endorsements matter.

But, since it is much harder to distinguish candidates in a primary, than in a general election where party labels provide helpful insights into candidate's political positions, and because primary voters are more likely to be newspaper readers than general election voters, endorsements can matter a great deal in primaries, especially in the bottom on the ticket races and on low profile ballot issues.

Also, a lot of people who aren't influenced by endorsements were committed to one candidate or the other very early in the race.  The relevant question is not what percentage of all likely voters are influenced by newspaper endorsements, but what percentage of not fully decided likely voters are influenced by newspaper endorsements.  If 11% of all likely voters are influenced by newspaper endorsements then that may be a very large share of all not full decided voters.

An endorsement matters at least as much as many other influences on a voter, like actual candidate policy positions (as opposed to perceived ones), endorsements, and campaign advertising (and by association, campaign fundraising).

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by: ohwilleke @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 19:55:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I think it matters a lot in what they say

Let's take a look.  

From the Colorado Springs Independent Endorsement of Romanoff:

the Democrats need someone with passion to motivate people, a fighter to take on the Tea Party movement and other angry voters, someone to fight fire with fire. Not just a deep thinker, but a tirelessly aggressive campaigner.

and

Bottom line, we see Bennet as an excellent senator for the next six years and beyond. But we see Romanoff as potentially one of the premier senators and statesmen of this generation.

From the "toast" Bennet endorsement (which I won't quote for sake of this site's policy): comments to the effect of "he has no independent streak" and "we only really like him because he might be a budget hawk sometime in the future, even if he isn't doing anything now" -- oh! and they like his time screwing fixing DPS (a topic that has been under much scrutiny here and over at huffington post.


Sorry Michael Bennet, but I'm a real person too

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by: StrykerK2 @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 19:00:20 PM UTC

Of course, you gloss over the . . .

paper's pointing out that the challenger lacks real world experience, but that doesn't matter, does it?  

Discipline without purpose is tyranny.

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by: Automaticftp @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 19:52:09 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Newspaper Endorsements...

mean very little (especially in primaries) other than reinforcing minds that have already been made up.

For instance, "I'm supporting Norton, so I'm glad to see that the (Main Denver Newspaper) agrees with me.  I like the (Main Denver newspaper).  This shows that I am smart."

On the other hand, if the endorsement goes against a candidate that you are supporting, it tends to reinforce a prejudice that you already had against the newspaper.

For instance:  "I'm supporting Romanoff and the (Main Denver daily) endorsed Bennet.  This proves that the (Main Denver newspaper) is a tool of the establishment just like Bennet.  I hate the establishment, so I'm going to work even harder for Romanoff."

Endorsements may have a slight more pronounced impact on general elections, but on primaries, their impact cannot be understated....

"But when I see a 9-11 victim family on television, or whatever, I'm just like, 'Oh, shut up!' I'm so sick of them because they're always complaining."  Glenn Beck  

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by: Arvadonian @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 19:07:54 PM UTC

Hard to tell what these do, but this guy's is thoughtful

Article worth reading:

Romanoff or Bennet?

by Ed Augden in the North Denver Herald

http://northdenvernews.com/con...

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by: protestinthestreet@yahoo.com @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 19:37:01 PM UTC

Didn't you post that same link over the weekend?

Somebody did.

Today, you're either going to get better or you're going to get worse, but you're never going to be the same.  Which one will it be?  --Joseph V. Paterno

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by: Ralphie @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 21:55:27 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

And it's going to keep getting posted

until someone gets it!

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by: RedGreen @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 22:22:48 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

This is one of those articles that was effective

the first time. When you post it as if it is a new article worth reading it is much less effective.

"But, when it comes to voting, when we only have two choices, you've got to grow up and realize there's a big difference between a disappointing friend and a deadly enemy" - Bill Maher

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by: EmeraldKnight76 @ Tue Jul 20, 2010 at 06:46:57 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I believe the Rocky would've endorsed

...Romanoff and Buck, which would have been huge!!  Maybe these two can fashion a teevee add from that?  (if they had any $$, that is)

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by: OuiserBoudreaux @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 22:22:59 PM UTC

That's the ticket

Imaginary newspaper endorsements ...

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by: RedGreen @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 22:38:01 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

They make great ads

Today, you're either going to get better or you're going to get worse, but you're never going to be the same.  Which one will it be?  --Joseph V. Paterno

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by: Ralphie @ Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 22:38:51 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

... full-page ads in newspapers

that no longer exist!

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by: RedGreen @ Tue Jul 20, 2010 at 03:37:22 AM UTC

[ Parent ]