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No endorsement from Star Tribune, does it matter?

Newspapers have been endorsing candidates since the early 19th century, when most were owned by political parties. Even the New York Times backed Abe Lincoln in 1860. But, a lot's changed since then, so why today?

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- It's the DFL's Keith Ellison versus Republican Doug Wardlow.

And, the Star Tribune doesn't like either of them for Minnesota Attorney General; their headline reads: "Two flawed candidates, no endorsement in state AG's race."

"I can't think of the last time I saw a newspaper come out and say that - in such an important race like it is this year - they're not going to endorse anybody," said David Schultz, a political science professor at Hamline University.

Newspapers have been endorsing candidates since the early 19th century, when most were owned by political parties. Even the New York Times backed Abe Lincoln in 1860. But, a lot's changed since then, so why today?

"They still viewed it as what - kind of their civic duty or responsibility to endorse candidates, probably from the era when what - maybe lots of people couldn't read or maybe lots of people who were on the farm maybe weren't paying a lot of attention," said Schultz.

Like most papers, the Star Tribune has a separate "Editorial Board" to make endorsements or not make endorsements, like in Minnesota's AG race. The Board has some strong opinions of Ellison and Wardlow:

"The Star Tribune Editorial Board cannot recommend either Republican Doug Wardlow or DFLer Keith Ellison, both of whom are too partisan to hold a statewide office wielding immense power and in which the public's trust is so vital to its mission."

"The consensus: Minnesota is not well-served by electing a candidate who sees the office as a path to pursue a partisan political agenda."

"The 'least-bad' choice facing voters, along with the Editorial Board's lack of endorsement, should spur introspection by both political parties as a major transition looms in the Attorney General's Office."

Schultz said, "To not only not endorse, but to then speak out against the candidates, and then even further to say that the two parties need to seriously rethink how they pick their candidates, that's a pretty significant statement."

But, will it matter?

"It probably has very little impact anymore. Now, I know newspapers don't want to hear that, of course, but we know with readership down dramatically and also with, I think, the fact that there are a lot of other ways for people to become informed," said Schultz. "It's pretty unlikely that it has much of an impact, maybe, maybe you know a percent or two here and there, and maybe in a close election that matters."

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