N&O: Not a ticket splitter

Published October 30, 2014

by Carter Wrenn, Talking About Politics, October 29, 2014.

A pollster will usually ask voters: Would you say you 1) Always vote Democratic, 2) Usually vote Democratic, 3) Always vote Republican, 4) Usually vote Republican or 5) would you say you split your ticket and vote for about as many Republicans as Democrats? 

 

Down at the Editorial Board (not in the news room) at the News and Observerthe boys have gone 5 for 5 in the local Congressional Races – picking five Democrats and not a single Republican.  

 

They also went 4 for 4 in the County Commissioners races – picking 4 Democrats.  

 

And they endorsed Lorrin Freeman, the Democrat in the District Attorney’s race. 

 

Then they went 12 of 12 – endorsing 12 Democrats in the State House races.

 

They did endorse one Republican – Sheriff Donnie Harrison – in a backhanded way, spending most of their editorial explaining what Donnie had done wrong and praising his opponent. 

 

At any rate, one thing’s clear: Whoever’s doing the picking down at the N&O Editorial Board isn’t a ticket splitter. 

 http://www.talkingaboutpolitics.com

October 30, 2014 at 10:35 am
Richard Bunce says:

That is a classic dog bites man story... you going to do a story tomorrow about how the sun rose in the east in the morning?

Here is a story you can do... how many newspapers have run editorials against the USSC Citizens United ruling... arguing that persons lose their First Amendment speech protections when speaking within a for profit corporate structure using corporate resources... and how many of those newspapers are for profit corporations whose editorial board members all believe I have no doubt that they do not lose their First Amendment press protections when performing press functions in a for profit corporate structure using corporate resources. Remember that not for profit corporations were not restricted by Congress in the original legislation that CU overturned so it cannot be a "corporateness" argument... it must be a "for profitness" argument and for profit newspapers fit into that category... in this case decidedly favoring the candidates of one political party.

October 30, 2014 at 7:31 pm
Norm Kelly says:

Unfortunately this AIN'T news!

Which, also unfortunately, ain't new for the Noise & Disturber!

I moved to the south slightly more than 20 years ago. One of the first things I learned was not to bother reading much into any news story in the N&D, and never believe what you read on the editorial page. I had no idea what an 'N&D' was at the time. I learned quickly. As for the editorial page, the problem with their being any truth on the page is obvious. If it don't agree with the socialist party agenda, if it don't support the liberal candidate, if it don't toe the party line, it don't appear in the editorial pages from the editorial board. They MIGHT have a guest editorial writer who says something positive about a conservative. But it's far & few between.

And then, like Carter writes, the editorial board does so much praising the lib in the process of saying good things about a conservative/Republican pol that it actually becomes an endorsement of the lib instead. I failed to read their endorsement of Donnie. It appears I didn't MISS it though. Since Carter describes it as an endorsement of the lib anyway, I may not have read it but I obviously didn't miss anything noteworthy.

Once again, someone notices the N&D do their normal routine. Will it change? What would force them to change their position? Even when they kinda, sorta, write about the coal ash ponds existing and leaking FOR DECADES, they go on to point out how the Republican legislature wants to be more lenient with businesses and how Pat has coal ash on his hands. They FAIL to recognize that 'for decades' the socialist party controlled Raleigh. The socialist party was the rule maker for DENR. The socialist party in charge allowed the coal ash ponds to exist. The socialist party in charge allowed the coal ash ponds to leak. FOR DECADES. Yet, the N&D draws the FALSE conclusion that the Republican party deserves the blame!

If you waste your time reading N&D editorials, it would explain why you are so ill informed, perhaps even a 'low information' voter. Little useful info in, lies in, misinformation in, demon voter out! Plain & simple.