About Those RBA Endorsements ...

Nice work on the RBA, Philbrick, but you missed a key point.

The RBA is using the same technique as the Democrat and Chronicle in doing endorsements.   In every seriously contested race they endorse the Democrat.   Then they endorse some Republicans who are unopposed or certain to win; that's their fig leaf to "prove" they're not biased.

The RBA endorsed Sandra Doorley (D) for DA.   That's a competitive race and a must-win for Democrats.   They also endorsed County Legislators Dick Beebe (D) and Vinny Esposito (D), the most endangered legislators for re-election, with strong opponents.

Now come the RBA's fig leaf endorsements:   Maggie Brooks, who's certain to win for County Exec.   County Legislators like Dick Yolevich (R), Mike Barker (R), Mike Rockow (R) and Anthony Daniele (R), who have no, or token, opposition.

The RBA can endorse who it wants.   They're entitled to an opinion just like we are.   But we should call out obvious bias of organizations and newspapers that pretend to be impartial, and expose their tricks to uphold the pretense.   Their endorsements are strategically chosen to help Democrats and to provide camouflage to conceal that they're partial, rather than impartial.

Nothing wrong with being partial, either.   But a lot's wrong with being partial and insisting you're not.

Not to say the D&C will endorse all the same people as RBA.   They'll endorse Sandy Frankel (D) for County Exec, for instance.   But basically they'll follow their usual pattern of endorsing competitive Ds and giving fig leaf endorsements to Rs who face no serious contest.   Then they can say, "We're not biased.   We endorsed people in both parties."

There are exceptions.   When a Republican candidate is overwhelmingly qualified and intelligent, and usually when there's something a little underwhelming about the Dem, then sometimes the RBA under its current leadership and the D&C will endorse the R, after agonizing debate, which they'll often reference when making their announcement.   An example would be their endorsement of Republican John DiMarco for County Court Judge a few years ago.   But these are the exceptions.   The basic pattern is clear.