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Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton? What do tribal newspapers say?
This is Trahant Reports.
Over the past four decades, I have spent a lot of time on the question of endorsing candidates. At large newspapers, and at small ones, my colleagues and I have taken that task seriously. We invited candidates in, heard them out, read everything possible, and then reached a conclusion of one kind or another.
My favorite memory was in 2004 and an editorial board meeting with Howard Dean. It was clear that he was about to lose the Democratic nomination at that point, but came to see us anyway. He came into the meeting without notes, without staff, and talked at length about what he thought what went right … and what went wrong in that presidential campaign. We learned a lot.
The very idea of “endorsements” seems odd in a democracy.
Why would a newspaper tell anyone how to vote?
But I never looked at it that way. I always saw it as another form of commentary.
Nonetheless it always made readers mad because there are always people on the other side of the question and after an endorsement I’d be answering the phone explaining.
My point here is that endorsements are tricky. It is a form of commentary, but it’s also intense and personal.
Tribal newspapers are less likely to endorse presidential candidates. Over the years I have seen a few … but not often.
Now in South Dakota dueling endorsements.
The Native Sun News and Lakota Country Times both weighed in with their picks for the June 7 Democratic Primary.
The Lakota Country Times went first, picking Bernie Sanders.
Editor Brandon Ecoffey wrote: “In what has turned out to be one of the strangest presidential races of my lifetime, choosing a candidate to endorse has turned out to be a really simple decision.”
He called this election “a tipping point” and said “it is simply time to shake things up.”
He wrote: “I implore all of Lakota Country to #Feelthebern .”
And in Rapid City, the Native Sun News published its endorsement of Hillary Clinton.
“There is so much baloney flying around out there about Hillary Clinton that we wanted to set the record straight.”
The newspaper cited Clinton’s qualifications and her track record in Indian Country.
“We think it is high time to kick the old white men off of the podium and replace them with a strong, highly gifted woman,” the Native Sun News said. “With little fanfare she has visited Indian Country when she was First Lady. She has made a study of the many problems we face as Native Americans and is determined to follow in the footsteps of Obama and do something about it.
We will have to wait until June 7 to see which editorial wins over its readers.
I am Mark Trahant reporting.
