Newspapers historically take the time during the election season to endorse the candidates they feel are the best fit to serve their constituency.
Last week The Famuan received a call from the campaign to re-elect President Barack Obama. The volunteer asked immediately and abruptly when we would be endorsing Obama, as if she expected us to automatically broadcast our support. All whens, no ifs.
It is no secret that Florida A&M largely supports the president; tell me the last time you saw a Mitt Romney sticker (or a tour bus for that matter like last week) on campus. The notion that we as a media outlet would without question endorse Obama goes against what we try to do, present both sides of a story.
Doing so has always presented a problem as we have tried to search for Republicans on campus who can explain their support of their candidate. We have had an influx, maybe it could be called a deluge, of people wanting to show their support for the president, but few have come forward in support of the former Massachusetts governor.
We would like to see that change.
Our goal is to remain as neutral and fair as we possibly can when it comes to measuring the performance of and addressing deficiencies in political candidates, or anyone for that matter. Endorsing politicians as an organization could cause sectors of the public to perceive us as one sided and untrustworthy. Taking sides is left to anyone expressing themselves individually within our pages.
So while time dwindles, three weeks until Election Day, and everyone searches for an ideology to support, one thing that I can say we are in support of is the voter registration movement. Eager volunteers devoted countless hours to encourage people to practice the essential American right and that is commendable.
Which brings us back to the Obama campaign, our endorsement and well…I never did get her name. In this instance, after much deliberation on which is right for the job, the best choice is to endorse the 14th, the 15th, the 27th, the 19th, the 23rd, the 24th and the 26th Amendments and that piece of parchment that begins with “We the People.”