Arguably Endorsements

Off the top, much of what I'll link derives from various articles I've found from among the plentitude of Maine newspapers. To peruse the papers themselves, check out the All Things Maine compendium of all Maine newspaper websites.

Check out the rest of this blog while you’re at it, especially if you are looking for some apolitical relief in this time of filth and money. It provides a great account of Maine-ism by some person who's in relishes all things Maine -- hence the name.

On the flipside, here's the Editor of the Rockland Free Press's pitch: Vote for the Democrat. Period. This guy is a sharp writer, which is rare among Midcoastal editorializers, irrespective of our common political lenses. He's a Rockland lawyer who practices part time, is a part time City politician, and a part time worker at his wife's restaurant.

One Additional Note before I proceed through the races and issues:

The MPBN tv/radio show MaineWatch broadcast a pretty timely piece on Friday evening focusing on Newspaper Editorial Endorsements -- how they are developed, what they represent for their communities/owners, and how they impact they elections. I found the show fascinating, as I'd just been speaking with a co-worker about how the Press Herald's editorial voice seems to have changed tone since the Blethen family bought it. However, its relationship with Portland is nothing compared with the relationship the Lewiston Sun-Journal appears to have with the Androscoggin Valley. As evidenced, in part, by this comment on posted in response to the paper's TABOR endorsement:

Posted By: CATHERINE at October 29, 2006 9:03 AM
10 years ago I moved to Lewiston from a small rural community where we struggled with tax caps for years and saw one school program after another fall by the wayside. I was so happy to move to Lewiston, pay my taxes and send my children to good schools. Education costs money. But not supporting the education of our young people will hurt this state much more in the long run. The Sun Journal has taken a stand against our children. I have cancelled my subscription.

Ultimately it raises a "chicken v. egg" set of questions – primarily, does a community's set of values shape its newspaper's politics, or does a newspaper shape its community's politicy. I don't think there is any one answer that perfectly describes the relationship in any two media market examples. But what do I know?

Now then … it's off to the races ….