We will begin running our Bee Recommends box on Thursday, listing all of our choices in the Nov. 7 election. This will set off a round of calls from critics of The Bee saying we shouldn't be telling people how to vote. During the June primary, I wrote a column explaining why we make candidate recommendations. Here are some excerpts from that column:
"Newspaper endorsements have long played a role in the political process. We aren't telling people how to vote. We are telling them who we think are the best candidates. Voters can follow or reject our suggestions.
"Throughout the year, we offer our opinions in editorials on important public policies, and at election time, it follows that we should be making recommendations on the people who would carry out those policies.
"Our candidate recommendations are one more piece of information that readers can use in deciding which candidates to vote for. Consider us a sounding board for your opinions.
"We spend significant time getting to know candidates' positions on issues and the ideas they want to push if they are elected. We measure candidates against our values -- integrity, honesty, passion to improve life in the Valley and their concern for all of our citizens. Voters should also measure candidates against their own values and opinions.
"We don't have a litmus test on issues. We can disagree with candidates' views on issues such as the death penalty or tax policy, and still support them if they are the best candidates in the race. We look at the totality of their thinking against the backdrop of our values."
I always appreciate the Bee's recommendations - even when critical of them!
If, at any point, I find my choices agreeing with the Bee, I always double check my reasoning - hoping to find out where I have gone wrong!
When the Bee makes recommendations, I know they do so from a certain mind-set. That mind-set is usually not my mind-set. My job is remain true to my convictions and not be persuaded to "waste" my vote by allowing outside influences or a cleverly produced ad sway my beliefs. That's pretty hard to do because, it appears to me, that most election material is negative and is geared towards deception and suppressing the vote. Or as Rush Limbaugh has recently said, "The media determines our reality with their fantasies."
Hmmm, since the Bee recommended a number of Republicans this year, that means T.C. must be voting for some Democrats!
Seriously, I appreciate the Bee's recommendations, and always give them some consideration, even though I don't always vote that way.