Gazette election endorsements draw comment

I've received calls from folks demanding to know why we are presuming to tell them how to vote.

They are responding to endorsements on our Opinion Page and, in some instances, stories we've run that lead them to believe that the news coverage is tied to the endorsements. Some folks are pretty angry. On Monday, Oct. 18, I responded to people who said The Gazette was a tool of the Republican Party because the newspaper endorsed Terry Branstad for governor. On Tuesday, Oct. 19, I responded to people who said the paper was a tool of the Democratic Party because it endorsed Dave Loebsack for the 2nd Congressional District seat in Congress.

Gazette endorsements this year continue to follow a tradition at this paper: they focus on a candidate The Gazette Editorial Board feels meets principles outlined in our Saturday, Oct. 16, paper and make an argument for why that candidate would do a good job in office. The endorsements are intended to provoke thought, as they are made early enough for readers to respond with letters to the editor with their point of view.

You can view the endorsements, letters and a list of The Gazette's Editorial Board members at this link.

We feel we've been fairly independent, giving nods to both sides of the political aisle. The Editorial Board discussions on the prime offices reflected differences of opinion, with no clear-cut selection but rather a concensus on who would do a good job if elected.

Here's The Gazette's Election Day message: Pick the candidate you think is best, either in early voting or on Nov. 2.

We'll report the results at

TheGazette.com Tuesday night, Nov. 2, and with analysis in the next morning's

Gazette newspaper.