Canada PoliticsGlobe chooses Hudak, Star picks Wynne: Rival newspapers publish endorsements for Ontario election
Ontario's media conglomerates have continued in the storied, yet controversial, tradition of political endorsements.
The province's — and country's — two most widely circulated newspapers, the Toronto Star and Globe and Mail have now each backed a political party for Thursday's election.
The editorial board at the Globe was first out of the gate on Friday when it announced it would be endorsing the Tim Hudak Progressive Conservatives.
"[The Tories] deserve praise for taking a hard line with public servants, calling for an across-the-board wage freeze. Union attacks on Mr. Hudak, and support for Ms. Wynne, leave a reasonable apprehension that the Liberals won’t be firm in future contract talks. And absent a willingness to stand up to its own supporters, a Liberal government will miss its budget targets. Mr. Hudak also has the right idea on business subsidies: Get rid of them."
The Globe, however, has a rather large caveat: Citing Tim Hudak's "simplistic slogans" and the allegations of fuzzy math on his million jobs plan, the editorial board says that they'd like to see a minority government.
"Tim Hudak’s Tories. Are they the ideal alternative? No, far from it. Are they a viable alternative? Yes, barely.
"In a perfect world, Ontario voters would have (at least) two excellent alternatives to choose from. They instead have two imperfect choices: a tired Liberal Party that has yet to learn enough from its mistakes, and an untested Progressive Conservative Party that needs to moderate and mature. The only way it will do so is if it is given the chance to govern."
In 2011, the Globe endorsed the Dalton McGuinty Liberals.
[ Related: Newspaper, cartoonist defend controversial drawing of Ontario Liberal leader Kathleen Wynne ]
The Toronto Star — which is often accused of being Liberal-friendly — is endorsing the Liberals and lauding leader Kathleen Wynne's "political skills and personal integrity."
"In the 16 months since she took over as premier and Liberal leader, Wynne has charted a new course and disavowed the costly mistakes of her predecessor, Dalton McGuinty. More importantly, she has put forward an ambitious, progressive agenda that speaks to real needs — pension reform, funding for transit in the gridlocked GTA, home care, unlocking the potential of northern resources and more.
"Instead, Hudak bet everything on his signature “million jobs plan,” a fantasy scheme that economists from both right and left have laughed out of the room."
In the last election, the Star also endorsed the Liberals.
[ Related: Gas plant scandal back in play ahead of Ontario election ]
For political parties, newspaper endorsements are a pretty big deal. Over the coming days the PCs and the Liberals will be pushing their respective endorsements through social media while local candidates will tout them at campaign events.
But, according to several studies, they don't have much of an affect on voters.
"A 2004 Pew Center analysis, for example, measured media influence in that year's presidential campaign," notes a 2006 article in the National Post.
"Their surprising conclusion: 'Newspaper endorsements are ... less influential than four years ago, and dissuade as many Americans as they persuade.' An earlier review by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania had a similar result: The impact of endorsements, nationally or regionally, was 'negligible.'"
Perhaps a more important issue surrounding newspaper endorsements is whether or not they should happen at all?
In a 2008 Time Magazine column, managing editor Rick Stengal asked a very poignant question: "How can a newspaper be objective on the front page when it endorses a candidate on the editorial page?"
While both the Globe and Star endorsement columns are good reads, maybe it is time to put an end to the aged tradition?
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