SF Chronicle cannot choose between Fiorina and Boxer - Really?

[Mass]

At least they did not endorse Fiorina, I guess, but they are holding Boxer responsible for the Republicans blocking the agenda. Really? I would not have thought it was so hard to choose between those two.

Boxer? Fiorina? None of the above

Voters aren't the only ones dissatisfied with the current crop of politicians.

In what it calls an "extremely rare" move, the San Francisco Chronicle is refusing to endorse either Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer or her Republican challenger, Carly Fiorina.


“It is extremely rare that this editorial page would offer no recommendation on any race, particularly one of this importance,” read an editorial in Sunday’s paper. “This is one necessary exception
...
“There is no reason to believe that another six-year term would bring anything but more of the same uninspired representation,” the Chronicle wrote. “Her most famous moments on Capitol Hill have not been ones of legislative accomplishment, but of delivering partisan shots....

The Chronicle’s stinging rebuke of Boxer was matched by the paper’s contempt for the agenda advocated by Fiorina.

Fiorina has “campaigned with a vigor and directness that suggests she could be effective in Washington — but for an agenda that would undermine this nation's need to move forward on addressing serious issues such as climate change, health care and immigration,” the paper wrote.

“It is a dismal choice between an ineffective advocate for causes we generally support and a potentially strong advocate for positions we oppose,” the paper concluded. “Neither merits our endorsement for the U.S. Senate.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42757.html#ixzz10k59N1Ie

[MBS]

1. wow.

Their decision doesn't even make sense; the choice is such a no-brainer. My guess is that the publisher of the chronicle was miffed by some personal issue, perhaps a perceived slight by Boxer
Ridiculous.

[Cleita]

2. I guess Barbara is too liberal for them.

I guess they would like her better if she became more like DINO Feinstein.

[Bumblebee]

3. papers should not be in the business of endorsing candidates to begin with. Period.

[Mz Pip]

4. The Chronicle has been disappointing lately

It had an editorial endorsing "No on 19" One of the reasons was that the plants smell bad and who wants to live next door to neightbors growing smelly plants?

I might just cancel my subscription over this one.

[Cleita]

5. It's been taken over by right wingers and their

message is soaking the editorial pages.

[flpoljunkie]

6. What bullsh*t! Hope Dems cancel their subscriptions en masse!

[otohara]

7. More Papers Will Follow Suit

for fear of losing customers in this divided nation.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

8. This is a new wave of "balance" in the corporate media?

:shrug:

[ProSense]

9. What a BS cop out

“Her most famous moments on Capitol Hill have not been ones of legislative accomplishment, but of delivering partisan shots...."
What absolute BS. Claiming Boxer has no legislative record is moronic spin. It's also projecting on behalf of the GOP

“It is a dismal choice between an ineffective advocate for causes we generally support and a potentially strong advocate for positions we oppose,” the paper concluded. “Neither merits our endorsement for the U.S. Senate.”

Fiorina a strong advocate? She's a bullshit artist who is getting her butt kicked by Boxer.

After rolling into the Senate as the prominent former CEO of HP, she has done nothing more than demonstrate why she was fired from the company.

Days after embarrassing McCain, Fiorina abruptly cancels appearance at GOP rally.

Strong, no. Incompetent, yes.

[Cha]

10. They sound brain dead..poor poor SF paper!

Can't make a choice between a Liberal with a solid record and the loser from HP.

[damonm]

11. My LTTE in response:

Your editorial of September 27, in which you refuse to endorse either Boxer or Fiorina for US Senate, is perhaps the most mealy-mouthed crock ever foisted on the public by this once-great newspaper. You speak of Boxer's "ineffectiveness" while somehow ignoring the fact that for 12 of her 18 years in the Senate, she was a member of the minority party, and that for 2 more of those years Congress was regularly vetoed by President Bush, and further years have been spent fighting Republicans who have decided to make 60 votes the threshold for anything.
To cite Boxer for ineffectiveness is to hold her responsible for 16 years of dedicated Republican obstructionism, and is dishonest - at best!
Fiorina a "strong advocate"? Given the result of her "stewardship" at HP (where she was rated by Portfolio as one of the 20 WORST CEOs of all time), the only word that properly comes to mind is "incompetence".
So you blame Boxer for Republican actions, and somehow excuse a poor CEO who has told Congress "There is no job that is America's God-given right any more" in order to avoid doing the right thing for California and endorsing Barbara Boxer.
How far the Chronicle has fallen.

[BeyondGeography]

12. Excellent

:thumbsup:

[CreekDog]

13. Carla Marinucci is still hanging onto dream of supporting her buddy Mickey Kaus

erstwhile Democrat who ran against Boxer in the primary.

the article she wrote about him was so laudatory that it's clear that she is biased and undoubtedly part of the decision of the editorial board (which doesn't usually have trouble endorsing Democrats).

Here's an example of Stenography in action, from her article about Mickey Kaus...notice the lack of analysis.

http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-05-17/news/20901569_1_sen-barbara-boxer-dead-heat-re-election-effort

Longshot's bid underscores Boxer's tight race
CAMPAIGN 2010 U.S. Senate Race
May 17, 2010|By Carla Marinucci, Chronicle Political Writer

In a year when Tea Party activists and the GOP are getting a lot of attention, self-described "common sense Democrat" Mickey Kaus is stirring up a little party of his own - challenging U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer in the Democratic primary over illegal immigration and public employee unions' pensions.

"It's clear that the unions own the Democratic party - and it's going to be a disaster unless that changes," says Kaus, 58, a longtime blogger for online magazine Slate.com and author of "The End of Equality," which urges a rethinking of liberalism.
Sponsored Links

Instead of "chasing after the Latino vote" and pushing for public "card check" elections intended to make it easier for workers to join labor unions, he said his party and Boxer - whom he calls an "old-style pol, through and through" - should deal with issues that affect the everyday lives of working Californians.

(snip)

[cyr330]

14. I've had just about enough. . .

of that crappy shit-rag they call a paper. I'm just about to call them and discontinue my subscription.

[Supersedeas]

15. wow...if that is an indication of future accountability of American media outlets...then we are in

more trouble than first suspected.

The best Political Coverage money can buy?

[kiranon]

16. This will make it easier for me not to subscribe to it anymore. n/t