In preparation for this issue, we looked back in the Flyer News archives to see how we covered previous presidential elections. Especially interesting were our endorsements of certain candidates in our staff editorials.

In 1980, we endorsed Democratic President Jimmy Carter, who lost to Republican Gov. Ronald Reagan 489-49 in electoral votes.

In 1972, we endorsed Democratic Senator George McGovern, who lost to Republican President Richard Nixon 520-17.

In 1968, we endorsed Democratic Vice President Hubert Humphrey, who lost to Republican Vice President Richard Nixon 301-191 in electoral votes, with American Independent George Wallace carrying the remaining 46.

We appear to have a track record of endorsing losing Democrats for President. As such, we have decided not to endorse a candidate this year.

Rather, we encourage you to vote for the candidate who you believe has earned your support.  Vote for the candidate who has stuck his neck out for the good of the country. The one who has taken risks in his career to stand up for the middle class, who has fought to reform broken industries like our healthcare system, who has pledged to expand the rights of all Americans and who has laid the groundwork for a better economy in the future.

Both President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney have done these things, at various times in their careers. Now you must decide which one you trust to carry on with these in the next four years.

Even if you don’t take our advice, we hope that you at least choose to vote. Generations before us fought for us to have that right – we owe it to them to exercise it.

On second thought, maybe our taste in candidates wasn’t so bad after all. We didn’t seem to have any official stance on the election of 1996, but in a November 1996 staff editorial we sure seemed pretty happy that President Bill Clinton won.

• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•