by Matt Vespa, Townhall:
The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times are two publications where it’s a near-guarantee that a Democrat is securing their endorsement. It’s another easy layup that Kamala missed. Both publications opted not to endorse, causing an uproar among their respective staffers. The editorials editor at the LA Times resigned. Now, we’ve learned that The Washington Post’s editor-at-large, Robert Kagan, resigned in protest as well (via Fox News):
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Washington Post editor at large Robert Kagan resigned on Friday following the “Democracy Dies in Darkness” paper’s decision not to endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, Fox News Digital has learned.
Kagan, the author of “Rebellion: How Antiliberalism is Tearing America Apart — Again,” has been one of the paper’s loudest anti-Trump voices. In 2023, he penned a column, “The Trump dictatorship: How to stop it.” He has also accused Trump of being “anti-Ukraine,” and has suggested that the former president could “destroy” democracy if re-elected.
Kagan’s shock resignation came after Post publisher and chief executive officer William Lewis announced the paper would not be endorsing a presidential candidate in 2024, nor in any future presidential race.
There were reports that the publication’s owner, Jeff Bezos, was slow-walking or even derailing the official Kamala endorsement. A draft was allegedly ready to go before the paper decided not to endorse anyone. It’s not just for 2024—the paper will no longer be offering endorsements in national elections (via WaPo):
The Washington Post will not be making an endorsement of a presidential candidate in this election. Nor in any future presidential election. We are returning to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates.
[…]
We recognize that this will be read in a range of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility. That is inevitable. We don’t see it that way. We see it as consistent with the values The Post has always stood for and what we hope for in a leader: character and courage in service to the American ethic, veneration for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all its aspects. We also see it as a statement in support of our readers’ ability to make up their own minds on this, the most consequential of American decisions — whom to vote for as the next president.
Our job at The Washington Post is to provide through the newsroom nonpartisan news for all Americans, and thought-provoking, reported views from our opinion team to help our readers make up their own minds.
Most of all, our job as the newspaper of the capital city of the most important country in the world is to be independent.
And that is what we are and will be.
