Marty Begnal
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was in Waterbury 12 days ago to campaign for Linda McMahon's bid for the U.S. Senate. Photograph by John Murray
By John Murray
One hundred years ago a newspaper’s endorsement of a political candidate moved the electorate. Today it only reveals the political bent of a news organization and amounts to yet another political flyer at your doorstep. Consider that the New York Times and the Hartford Courant – newspapers driven by liberal agendas - both endorsed three Democrats; Chris Murphy for Senate, Elizabeth Esty for Congress and Barack Obama for president. In the other corner, locally, we have the Republican-American newspaper – a bastion of conservative Republican ideals - grinding out endorsements for the GOP; Linda McMahon for Senate, Andrew Roraback for Congress and assuredly, Mitt Romney for president.
Is anyone surprised by these endorsements?
| Login or register to post comments | Tags: Andrew Roraback, Congressman Chris Murphy, Elizabeth Esty, John Murray, Linda McMahon, Marty Begnal, Mitt Romney, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, political endosement, President Barack Obama, President Bill Clinton, The Hartford Courant, The New York Times, The Republican-American, The Waterbury Observer
(Editor's note - the following column was written by Observer publisher John Murray in October 2003, on the 10th anniversary of the newspaper. Eight years later the newspaper has transitioned into the digital world with new computers, digital cameras and a bustling website. The drama for survival, however, continues)
The Waterbury Observer recently celebrated it’s tenth anniversary, and although this column may appear to be the sound of one hand clapping, I’m going to stop and celebrate some of the highs and lows along the journey.
Any newspaper across America has the responsibility to reflect the community back upon itself, and somewhere along the way the Observer morphed into the chaos of the city. As Waterbury struggles and groans to transition itself from an industrial giant there has been an explosion of social problems that has permeated the community, problems that the Observer absorbed.
Illness and mayhem seeped through our door.
| Login or register to post comments | Tags: Andy Michaud, Ann Quigley, Anthony Vargas, Bill Masone, Bob DeZinno, Chelsea Murray, Chuck Puskarz, Dave Gilmore, Dave Howard, Eileen Hosier, Jesse Grant, Jimmy Griffin, John Acerbi, John Houston, John Murray, Kerri Graham, Marty Begnal, Maureen Griffin, Notable Stories, Patrick Dowling, Peggy Tehan, Quajay Donnell, Radium Girls, Sonja Blass, Tisha Byars, Trish Eastwood