Dallas Paper Chucks Candidate Endorsements, Wants Voters To Think For A Change

In a major break with tradition, The Dallas Morning News will not endorse a presidential candidate this year . Instead, the newspaper will explore and support ideas and offer a vision for the country, it explained in an editorial message to readers.

Its rationale is that the more thoughtful, voter-empowering approach will quell the rise of political personality cults, overheated extremes and contempt.

From the start, this nation was always an idea, a concept about liberty ... that invited a perpetual debate about how society should be, the newspaper noted. Now the nation is at a crossroads. It can pivot into a bright future or fall into an abyss.

Theres currently a broad push to drive our politics to extremes, to destroy without building consensus for what should be built, the newspaper warned. Political debates are being driven by assessments of political personalities and populist passions on the left and right, it added. The result is distracted voters who empower a candidate without ever seriously debating policy implications.

the @dallasnews editorial board is breaking from tradition this year: it will not be recommending a candidate for president in 2020.

heres more on their reasoning: https://t.co/rsmRVRqiMH pic.twitter.com/i3dNJhWWWk

mallorie sullivan (@malloriesullivn) February 16, 2020","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"mallorie sullivan ","author_url":"https://twitter.com/malloriesullivn","cache_age":86400,"description":"the @dallasnews editorial board is breaking from tradition this year: it will not be recommending a candidate for president in 2020. heres more on their reasoning: https://t.co/rsmRVRqiMH pic.twitter.com/i3dNJhWWWk mallorie sullivan (@malloriesullivn) February 16, 2020\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":1024,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EQ5zvCFXsAAtdRY.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":1024,"title":"mallorie sullivan on 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the @dallasnews editorial board is breaking from tradition this year: it will not be recommending a candidate for president in 2020.

heres more on their reasoning: https://t.co/rsmRVRqiMH pic.twitter.com/i3dNJhWWWk
mallorie sullivan (@malloriesullivn) February 16, 2020

The paper will continue to endorse local candidates, but, on a national level, we can best serve our readers by sorting through the messages that politicians throw at voters, the Morning News explained. It will explore such issues as taxation, economic policy and immigration.

It will also speak up for individual liberty, the rule of law and alliances with like-minded democracies, the editorial noted. We believe that society must arc toward justice, compassion and responsibility.

The election is larger than Donald Trump , the message emphasized. Whats at stake in 2020 is the basic art of democracy and a turning away from the crisis of contempt.

We stand ... with Abraham Lincoln, who reminded us in his second inaugural address ... that we should proceed with malice toward none, with charity toward all, the paper stated.

The editorial concluded: Well start that conversation on civility ... by framing and supporting ideas rather than a candidate for president ... We hope it will empower you, the voter. For our fate resides in your hands.

Check it out here .