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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.
Scott Elliott is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He writes about education, city and suburban issues, politics, business, workforce and consumer issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2010 > October > 10 > Entry
Ellen Belcher: We grilled them, now you get to vote
2010 Election
A reader who is voting early called this week to say he didn’t know anything about the candidates running for the state board of education. Could I help him, he asked.
As it happened, we hadn’t published our recommendation in that race yet. I did some quick searching on the web for the caller, but indeed there isn’t much information out there about the candidates in this low-profile race.
The plea was a reminder of why many newspapers — not just the Dayton Daily News — spend so much time and energy asking candidates about their views and looking into their backgrounds.
Last week the Dayton Daily News editorial board finished up more than three dozen interviews with candidates, and proponents and opponents of tax issues.
Most of those interviews lasted an hour. In some cases, the grillings ran longer. Usually the candidates faced each other.
It’s a fact — not a boast — that the discussions were far more substantive than any candidates’ night or debate can ever be. Unlike at those events, we got to ask unlimited follow-up questions and interrupt when someone wasn’t answering a question or was serving up platitudes.
While not an election season goes by where we don’t get calls from candidates, or people who are for or against levies, asking us to make a recommendation, other people think it’s arrogant for newspapers to make this effort. Critics say that they don’t want to be told what to think.
Of course, we want to be persuasive. Who wants to have an unpersuasive opinion? But we’re a newspaper, not a political party. Nobody gets a free pass from hard questions here.
What we mainly want to do is give people information, to stoke debate. If, come Election Day, the majority of voters agrees with our point of view, great. If they see things differently, that’s OK, too. People can disagree and still find worth in the other side’s argument. Debate forces all of us to think harder.
Another criticism we get is that the newspaper has an agenda and that it favors Democrats. In presidential contests, it’s a fact that the Daily News has always recommended the Democratic candidate, except in 1972 when Richard Nixon was challenged by George McGovern.
Take a look, though, at the lists below. The record is indisputable that we’ve encouraged readers to support Republicans in marquee contests. If we only had recommended Republicans when there was no real contest, or only in unimportant contests, then we’d be guilty of just jerking our knees.
This year, we recommended four Democrats and four Republicans who are running statewide; we did recommend the Democrat in the big races for the U.S. Senate and governor. We picked the three Republicans for the nearby congressional races. For local Statehouse and county races, we went with seven Democrats and six Republicans.
Here’s a caution, though: it’s dangerous to look at aggregate score cards for this sort of thing. You need to look at election contests one at a time.
Legislative districts are created by partisans trying to maximize the number of contests their political party can win. (They admit this; it’s not just an accusation.) If a district (or county) is overwhelmingly Democratic, it’s hard to get a good Republican candidate to run and vice versa. If a candidate’s competence, not just his party, matters to you (and it does to us), there really may be no choice about who is the better candidate.
That reality can skew the numbers, making any organization that’s recommending candidates look more partisan or more balanced than it really might be.
What do we care about when we’re sizing up candidates? The exercise is inherently subjective; it’s not a math problem with a right or wrong answer. That said, what the person wants to do and how he says he’ll vote is significant. So is experience in public and private life.
Familiarity with the work of the office and the controversies the officeholder would face counts. A person’s reputation and record of involvement is important. Political ideology is significant, but more so, say, for the U.S. Senate, than a county commission seat. Temperament is also a factor.
You shouldn’t just blindly take our word on how to vote. Of course, talk to others, read up on the people and issues. But we’re also hoping that we’ve culled some valuable information for you from the individuals who will be making decisions that affect your lives.
DDN recommendations for U.S. Senate
1982 Howard Metzenbaum (D) over Paul Pfeifer (R)
1986 John Glenn (D) over Thomas Kindness (R)
1988 Howard Metzenbaum (D) over George Voinovich (R)
1992 John Glenn (D) over Mike DeWine (R)
1994 Mike DeWine (R) over Joel Hyatt (D)
1998 George Voinovich (R) over Mary Boyle (D)
2000 Mike DeWine (R) over Ted Celeste (D)
2004 George Voinovich (R) over Eric Fingerhut (D)
2006 Mike DeWine (R) over Sherrod Brown (D)
DDN recommendations for governor
1982 Richard Celeste (D) over Clarence “Bud” Brown (R)
1986 Richard Celeste (D) over James Rhodes (R)
1990 George Voinovich (R) over Anthony Celebrezze (D)
1994 George Voinovich (R) over Rob Burch (D)
1998 Robert Taft (R) over Lee Fisher (D)
2002 Robert Taft (R) over Tim Hagan (D)
2006 Ted Strickland (D) over J. Kenneth Blackwell (R)
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment | Categories: Columns, Elections, Ellen Belcher, Montgomery County, Ohio government, Ohio politics
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By John
October 10, 2010 7:18 AM | Link to this
I hoppe the DDN conducts as thorough of a “Grilling” when Phil Plummer comes in for the 2012 election. The pass you gave him in 2008 on ethical and professional “personla” issues was reprehensible. His futile attempt to garner respectablility by making the rounds on the feel good circuit has done nothing for the county except get him on the tube now and then or fodder for his facebook page. We deserve better in Montgomery County.
By Max
October 10, 2010 11:58 AM | Link to this
“People can disagree and still find worth in the other side’s argument. Debate forces all of us to think harder.”…..Well said, Ellen. From one DDN reader it really doesn’t matter about track record of support for one party’s candidate over another. I would like to add the electronic media, and its loudest voices, are natural competitors of print journalism so there may be a business interest involved when that entity refers to the ‘liberal media.’ History shows us print journalism has always taken a liberal position as the Fourth Estate. It is a matter for readers to determine IF print media is actually functioning in that traditional role of keeping government honest, or, promoting one party over another to the disinterest of the profession. I, for one, Ellen, appreciate the time and effort you extended in sharing an insight into DDN’s processes and history. And, we can still disagree….Isn’t this country GREAT????
By County Health Insurance Scandal
October 10, 2010 1:08 PM | Link to this
Oh john, always the phil plummer hater arent you??? everywhere you go, its the same old demoncrat line (s) an d frankly kind of old. maybe do some research before you post and see who the real probelms arte…yep thats right the demoncratic commission led by the democratic admininstrator..I know, I know, its tuff for you GOP haters to have anyone outside the demoncrats. Plummer has done a superb job even with the demoncrats taking the $$$ away but you are too blind to see this and continue your campaign of ignorance. Face it, you put up Guido Tenore and that was futile..not too many demoncrat candidates that you could put up as a matter of fact. Do you really think the liberal DDN would GIVE ANY GOP a “pass” as you say??? are you kidding me??? again, your ignorance is showing through and frankly it is laughable. Can’t wait to hear about the art institute so you can blast away at Plummer on that post. Get a life and maybe you could get out of court security one day…Now get to work and get off the PC during working hours you HACK!@!!!!!
By John
October 11, 2010 6:33 AM | Link to this
@county health, sorry I am a life long Republican who works at the Sheriff’s Office. I know you are one of Plummer’s assigned strategic internet response team(ISRT) members. I do not support Mike Tenore for Sheriff. We are working on getting the candidate we know can defeat Phil and his follies. Mr. PicNic has to go before there is nothing left.
By David Esrati
October 13, 2010 8:59 AM | Link to this
As someone who has sat through your “grillings” I can say the questions and follow up are only tough for people you already don’t like, and even then- it’s not even softball. Ellen, I can remember when I mocked you when you asked what the 2003 Festivities would do for Dayton- in 1999. You looked like I shot your puppy. My answer about being worried about 2004, 2005, 2006 didn’t make an impression at all. I was talking then about sticking to getting the basics right- not on grandstanding or silver bullet solutions. If anyone wants to hear what one of their “grillings” sounds like- I posted the recording I made of the Congressional candidates for the Special election this last June. Ellen didn’t like it. My real question is who grills you though? What are YOUR qualifications? Politicians need to disclose a lot- I can’t even find a resume online on you Ellen? What college did you attend? What military service did you do? What awards have you won? How many hours do you volunteer for the community? http://esrati.com/nazis-muslims-miniature-painters-and-morticians/5719/ asks what are “qualifications” to run for office and to “endorse” them. I’d like answers.
By Bill
October 20, 2010 9:06 PM | Link to this
GRILL SHERIFF PHIL PLUMMER WHEN HE COMES IN FOR HIS 2012 RE-ELECTION BID. UNLESS THE DEMS RUN RIN TIN TIN I DON’T SEE HOW HE COULD EVER BE ENDORSED BY DDN.
By JD
October 20, 2010 10:23 PM | Link to this
DDN couldn’t grill a hamburger. Ellen you are the biggest dope of the editorial panel. Saw you on the tube the other night, you have the perfect face for radio. You dorks supported Plummer, what a complete waste of time.