Two Newspaper Endorsements In Senate Race Offer Contrasting Views

The Star editorial board has endorsed the 80-year-old Sen. Richard Lugar for an unprecedented seventh term to no one's surprise. Richard Mourdock's hometown newspaper, the Evansville Courier & Press, favors the local guy. The explanation offered by the two editorial boards shows quite a contrast in how the two editorial boards approached the two candidates and offers a good indication of how this primary race is ending.

The Star's editorial board assumed its readers would be repulsed by its decision so it lists four major objections to sending Lugar back to Washington where he's lived the past 35 years for another 6-year term and explains why you should discount those objections, not exactly a ringing endorsement. Lugar may appear to be out of touch, but Mourdock is an ideologue who "is more likely to hurt than help" according to the editors. Lugar may differ with his Republican colleagues on a number of important issues, but he's with them on most of the issues they tell us. Yeah, he will be 86 years old when his next term would end, but he still has "an impressive depth of knowledge on issues such as energy and agriculture." And Lugar's residency problem isn't a "trivial" matter (never mind all that bluster we exhibited over Charlie White's one-time problem), but he didn't have time to spend in Indiana the past 35 years because he was too busy working on "nuclear disarmament, foreign relations and other national policies." Yeah, not exactly the kind of talking points the Lugar campaign can use in a 30-second spot, eh? Nonetheless, you can bet Lugar's campaign will find at least one phrase worth using.

The Evansville's Courier & Press offers an endorsement of Mourdock based on their in-depth knowledge of his career and background. "Indeed, our view is that Mourdock is eminently qualified for the position," the editors write. His background as a geologist and coal industry executive provides him "a hands-on understanding of energy issues." As a former county commissioner and State Treasurer, the editors know him as a person "that knows finance and economics." "And we know him as a highly intelligent man with a passion for knowledge who remains a student of history" who "shows no fear of the issues." In the view of the newspaper's editor's the "era of deficit spending" requires "a conservative thinker in step with Hoosier voters." "Mourdock makes a convincing argument to succeed Lugar," they conclude.