For a lot of reasons, the Daily Times no longer makes endorsements in our local elections.
We used to literally sit down with every candidate running in our local races, then make our choices known.
I'm not sure they had all that much of an effect, but it was part of our journalistic mission.
We no longer make endorsements, but that doesn't stop people from believing we make our choices known in other ways.
Take the front page of Saturday's Daily Times for instance.
Across the bottom of the page was a paid ad that urged voters "Vote For Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon Tuesday Nov. 6."
Underneath that line, in small type, is a fairly important line of type: "Paid for by Scanlon For Congress."
It's easy to miss. It's black type on a blue background, while the other type urging people to vote for Scanlon leaps off the page at your in white letters on a blue background.
It didn't take long for people to make up their mind. The Daily Times was pushing Scanlon, the Democrat who is running for the 5th District seat in Congress against Republican Pearl Kim.
The local GOP apparently gathered for a morning breakfast Saturday, and many were furious about the Daily Times front page.
I believe the common refrain was that the Daily Times was up to its "normal dirty tricks."
Some apparently went so far as to suggest it might be an illegal corporate campaign contribution.
Actually, it was a paid ad.
The very same kind of ad that Republicans have taken out for years.
A confession here: I hate these ads on Page One. Of any kind. But that's a battle I lost a long time ago. The newspaper industry is dying for revenue, and sacrificing a bit of our front page is the going rate for staying in business.
At first there was some confusion as to whether the important disclaimer ad as "paid advertising" had actually appeared.
It did.
Now, I'll be the first to admit you might not notice it at first glance.
Do I think that was done purposely in the design of the ad by the Scanlon camp?
I have no idea.
What I know is we're more than willing to take money from both campaigns.
Scanlon and the Dems bought the Page One ad.
Kim and the GOP did not.
Funny, back when all those Republican candidates were buying space on Page One, no one ever complained.
That wasn't dirty tricks. That was just politics as usual.
Times change.
Newspapers now accept advertising on Page One.
Democrats in Delco now actually win elections.
They also take out ads.
I write about it in today's Letter From the Editor.
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