Washington Post Editorial Board Not Making Presidential Endorsement

Washington Post Editorial Board Not Making Presidential Endorsement

The Washington Post publisher and CEO William Lewis announced the paper would not make a presidential endorsement this year or “in any future presidential election.”

Lewis said WaPo is returning to its roots “of not endorsing presidential candidates.”

Lewis wrote, which will likely make you laugh (emphasis mine):

We recognize that this will be read in a range of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility. That is inevitable. We don’t see it that way. We see it as consistent with the values The Post has always stood for and what we hope for in a leader: character and courage in service to the American ethic, veneration for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all its aspects. We also see it as a statement in support of our readers’ ability to make up their own minds on this, the most consequential of American decisions — whom to vote for as the next president.

Our job at The Washington Post is to provide through the newsroom non-partisan news for all Americans, and thought-provoking, reported views from our opinion team to help our readers make up their own minds.

Most of all, our job as the newspaper of the capital city of the most important country in the world is to be independent.

And that is what we are and will be.

I laughed. Non-partisan. Independent. Okay, whatever, bro.

WaPo made an exception in 1952 when the editorial board endorsed General Eisenhower.

In 1960, the board wrote, “But hindsight also has convinced us that it might have been wiser for an independent newspaper in the Nation’s Capital to have avoided formal endorsement.”

Lewis thinks the board made two points in 1960 that would “resonate” in today’s environment:

“The election of 1960 is certainly as important as any held in this century. This newspaper is in no sense noncommittal about the challenges that face the country. As our readers will be aware, we have attempted to make clear in editorials our conviction that most of the time one of the two candidates has shown a deeper understanding of the issues and a larger capacity for leadership.”

However, it concluded:

“We nevertheless adhere to our tradition of non-endorsement in this presidential election. We have said and will continue to say, as reasonably and candidly as we know how, what we believe about the emerging issues of the campaign. We have sought to arrive at our opinions as fairly as possible, with the guidance of our own principles of independence but free of commitment to any party or candidate.”

WaPo started endorsing presidents in 1976 when it supported Jimmy Carter.

The paper refused to take a side in 1988 between George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis.

NPR described the decision at the meeting as “tense.” Editorial page editor David Shipley reportedly told the board that “he ‘owns’ this decision.”

The Los Angeles Times made news the other day when owner Patrick Soon-Shiong told the board they couldn’t make an endorsement.

Editorial editor Mariel Garza resigned from her position yesterday over the decision.

Jeff Bezos owns WaPo.

He hired Lewis in 2024 to replace Fred Ryan.

Bezos faced a backlash within the paper over Lewis “in connection with an alleged hacking scandal during his time working for conservative tabloids in Great Britain.”

Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.