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Column: COVID-19 blew up our endorsement process. Help us make it better in the future
Al Franco
Palm Springs Desert Sun
Normally at this point in September of an election year, The Desert Sun Editorial Board would be busy interviewing scores of candidates seeking public office. The goal: Using these probing face-to-face encounters to gain a more complete picture of each individual seeking to represent residents as their public servant, and then offering advice on which of these people should get voter support.
Sadly, that isn't happening this time around.
Rather than sand, the COVID-19 pandemic destroyed our process, tossing boulders into its gears. Because of the limits on social interaction mandated under COVID-19, we plan on making recommendations on the 12 statewide ballot measures, but we will not be making endorsements in candidate elections this cycle.
This was a painful decision.
Newspaper editorial boards have always issued endorsements at election time. The Desert Sun's Editorial Board is no different, and has been issuing local, state and even national office endorsements across its 90-plus year history.
Readers expect this.
Whether they agree with us or not, they use our published arguments to either reinforce their beliefs or identify weaknesses in their own views. Other times they might learn something they didn't know, perhaps changing their position, or maybe leaving them more open to one they hadn't previously considered.
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Our endorsement process involves study of each election and its issues, a look at the background and history of the candidates and what they've been saying currently, and full review of other pertinent information from the campaign trail.
The key component that offers us somewhat unique insight beyond that of the typical close observer is the candidate panel interview session. To their credit, virtually all of the candidates (most cycles see nearly 100% participation) agree to come in and sit with us for questions. They don't know in advance what is going to be asked. What they do know is that they will be meeting not only with the members of our board, but also with their rivals in the election during the same session, answering the same questions, each in varying turn.
This process offers us a real-time view not only of what they are thinking, but how they respond on their feet in a situation that can sometimes become heated. It is similar to a public forum, though the only audience is the Editorial Board and the other candidates in on the session. Packing the crowd with supporters can't happen in our sessions. Candidates stand on their own, and this better ensures an unembellished view of what they truly believe.
Even using face coverings, this process wouldn't be feasible under the current COVID-19 rules. Frankly, the robust, shoulder-to-shoulder, around-the-table engagement that serves our process so well would be too risky for all involved, as well as the daisy chain of subsequent contacts with friends, family and others that each participant would have afterwards. For example, in the somewhat slow, non-presidential election cycle that was 2018, the then six-member Editorial Board held 17 panel interview sessions involving a total of 64 candidates. In 2016, the board met with nearly 70 candidates. The adoption by many governing councils and boards to election district formats and the shifts to even-year elections by other panels should serve to increase the numbers of candidates each cycle in the future.
We had hoped the situation would ease in time to allow us to proceed, but that window of opportunity has closed.
The Editorial Board has been conducting its regular business via videoconference. This technology is sufficient for debating and wrangling among people who know one another somewhat well and deal with each other on a regular basis with a well-worn process to use. It could never come close to being an adequate substitute for the dynamic interaction that is so vital to our candidate-vetting process.
We've begun debating by videoconference the merits of the ballot measures and hope to arrive at recommendations for those in time for voting.
We expect the pandemic will ease by the next cycle to the point that normal interactions, such as those involved in our endorsement process involving candidates for office, will again be safe, and allow us to present a more complete list of endorsements for elections across our valley.
You can help us with that goal.
What would you like to see when it comes to Editorial Board endorsements in the future? While some newspapers have been dropping them completely, we believe readers see our recommendations as a useful guide as they make their own voting decisions.
Email suggestions to letters@desertsun.com in the form of a 200-word letter to the editor (include your name, city of residence and a contact phone number in case we need to check something). If you'd prefer, send me your thoughts via al.franco@desertsun.com or reach out to Executive Editor Julie Makinen (julie.makinen@desertsun.com).
Thanks in advance for the help. And thanks, as always, for reading The Desert Sun.
Al Franco is Opinion editor of The Desert Sun. Email him at al.franco@desertsun.com.
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