# The Washington Post: Democracy Dies With Us **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [October 25, 2024, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210 "2024-10-25T17:30:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210/41 "2024-10-25T20:23:46Z")
I couldn’t understand how this could be in today’s edition, since I looked through my copy of the paper this morning. Then I looked at the editorial linked to this thread. It was published at 11:58 today. In other words, the editorial appeared only online so far. Presumably it will appear in the actual paper and ink edition tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210/42 "2024-10-25T20:38:50Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > I wonder if “Well we had a Harris endorsement, but Bezos axed it” is going to be just as good as if the Washington Post published its endorsement anyway. Certainly, this story seems to be getting a lot of traction, and might reach people who otherwise might not hear it. I doubt that it will make a difference to anyone who would be influenced by the Washington Posts endorsement. But on the otherside I have no doubt that Trump will be using the fact that a paper that endorsed Democrats for the last umpteen elections, now decided not to endorse proves that they think that Harris is unfit. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210/43 "2024-10-25T20:46:20Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > I doubt that it will make a difference to anyone who would be influenced by the Washington Posts endorsement. But on the otherside I have no doubt that Trump will be using the fact that a paper that endorsed Democrats for the last umpteen elections, now decided not to endorse proves that they think that Harris is unfit. The Trump campaign already posted about the LA Times not endorsing Harris, to the effect of people should not vote for her since her home state’s largest paper didn’t endorse her. Billionaires like the owners of the LA Times and the WashPost have the “fuck you” money, and should have told the Trumps to fuck off. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210/44 "2024-10-25T21:03:32Z")
He also used the non endorsement by the Teamsters in the same way. ---
**Author:** ![We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/We_re_wolves_not_werewolves)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210/45 "2024-10-25T21:04:23Z")
well, I guess I’ll be that guy. While I think people are right to suspect that the Post’s motives here are less than pure, I agree with the decision. Newspapers should not be in the business of endorsing political candidates. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210/46 "2024-10-25T21:04:39Z")
> [@Typo\_Knig](#): > > Billionaires like the owners of the LA Times and the WashPost have the “fuck you” money, and should have told the Trumps to fuck off. To quote James Stephanie Sterling; billionaires don’t just want some money, they want all of the money. They’ll sell out this country and its people in a heartbeat to Make Line Go Up, just like they tried to do with the Business Plot 90 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210/47 "2024-10-25T21:05:32Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > The reason is, when it’s possible that a Putin or Erdogan will be getting into power, the oligarchs want to be on the right side. That’s the reason. Bezos doesn’t want Amazon to lose contracts, and he knows that Harris won’t work in such a corrupt and craven manner, so there’s no reason not to piss her off. If he thinks that this will get him off Trump’s shit list, he’s an idiot. Unless he turns into a Trump cheerleader like Musk, Trump won’t forgive his earlier association with the post, and more importantly the fact that he has more money than Trump. Trump will still do everything he can to take him down. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210/48 "2024-10-25T21:07:31Z")
> [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](#): > > well, I guess I’ll be that guy. While I think people are right to suspect that the Post’s motives here are less than pure, I agree with the decision. Newspapers should not be in the business of endorsing political candidates. You may not think so but they’ve been doing so for decades. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210/49 "2024-10-25T21:10:12Z")
Well, it hardly seems worth it, but… …what a bunch of gutless, bootlicking shitheads. ---
**Author:** ![We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/We_re_wolves_not_werewolves)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210/50 "2024-10-25T21:10:27Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > You may not think so but they’ve been doing so for decades. oh I’m well aware, I just wish they didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210/51 "2024-10-25T21:11:20Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > You may not think so but they’ve been doing so for decades. In fact, they’ve been doing it for centuries. Many of America’s oldest newspapers were founded as political organs that also happened to publish news. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210/52 "2024-10-25T21:17:53Z")
> [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](#): > > I just wish they didn’t. I wish for a magical cocaine-shitting pony with a lovely singing voice. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210/53 "2024-10-25T21:21:04Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Why start a paper? Out of the goodness of their hearts, because we actually do need news? Out of the terror of what can happen if nobody can get news? > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Few people are willing to throw money away by endlessly supporting one. True. That’s why I said “billionaires”, many of whom throw money away on all sorts of things, and all of whom can afford to throw most of theirs away. Of course, people rarely become billionaires by having an attitude of “I don’t need any more money”. So I agree with your “few”; but even a few really good papers is more than we seem to have right now. There are still scattered local papers that are honest at local news and doing their best, but none of them can do very much. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Dunno what to tell you except that is what is being reported. > > > In a 2019 lawsuit, Amazon claimed it lost a $10 billion Pentagon cloud computing contract to Microsoft because Trump used “improper pressure … “to harm his perceived political enemy” Bezos. That seems to me a much better reason to try everything legitimately possible to stop being Trump from being elected, than a reason to bow down to him. But then, I appear to not have the king reflex. > [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > If he thinks that this will get him off Trump’s shit list, he’s an idiot. Unless he turns into a Trump cheerleader like Musk, Trump won’t forgive his earlier association with the post And probably not even if he does. You’d think everybody would realize by now that Trump will screw everybody, whether they thought they were in his in-group or not. Some kings hold up their side of the theoretical bargain. Some of them don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210/54 "2024-10-25T21:23:02Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > Why start a paper? > > Out of the goodness of their hearts, because we actually do need news? > > Out of the terror of what can happen if nobody can get news? No, what I was saying was why _start_ a paper rather than buying an existing one. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210/55 "2024-10-25T21:24:08Z")
Ah. If anything sizeable is for sale, that would make sense. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210/56 "2024-10-25T21:49:01Z")
> [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](#): > > well, I guess I’ll be that guy. While I think people are right to suspect that the Post’s motives here are less than pure, I agree with the decision. Newspapers should not be in the business of endorsing political candidates. Yeah, now is exactly the time in our nation’s history to take this principled stand. Bravo, WaPo! A real profile in courage. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210/57 "2024-10-25T21:50:06Z")
Full Title: **Editor resigns, subscribers cancel as Washington Post non-endorsement prompts crisis at Bezos paper** > **[Editor resigns, subscribers cancel as Washington Post non-endorsement prompts...](https://www.semafor.com/article/10/25/2024/editor-resign-subscribers-cancel-as-washington-post-non-endorsement-prompts-crisis-at-bezos-paper)** > > The Washington Post says it is returning to an earlier tradition of not endorsing. > The first prominent journalist, editor-at-large Robert Kagan, [resigned](https://x.com/maxwelltani/status/1849873607163289666) Friday in response to the decision, Semafor first reported. But there may be more: “people are shocked, furious, surprised,” said an editorial board member, citing internal discussions around resignation. “If you don’t have the balls to own a newspaper, don’t.” ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210/58 "2024-10-25T21:51:57Z")
I see happy TFG posts on Facebook. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210/59 "2024-10-25T22:55:18Z")
I see that Fox News has an article about how **[newspaper endorsements have been declining over the years](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/far-fewer-newspapers-endorsing-harris-than-backed-clinton-biden)**. The point of the article is not exactly clear, though they seem happy about it, pointing out that most newspapers have tended to endorse Democrats. But I also note with some amusement that Fox News, because they are after all Fox News, have taken the opportunity for no particular reason to insert a completely irrelevant infographic into that article showing how badly Joe Biden has wrecked the economy by graphically illustrating how much the price of milk, bread, eggs, and gas **in California** has gone up since February, 2020. Apparently this is all due to Dark Brandon™ manipulating the price of milk, bread, eggs, and gas for nefarious purposes. How and why Dark Brandon™ does this is not explained. Some of those cherry-picked price increases may or may not be true, but the accurate bigger picture is completely different and exposes the usual Fox lies in support of Trump. In fact, after a minor uptick in the summer of 2022 (and a big uptick in energy prices) the US Consumer Price Index **[is nearly where it was in Fox’s own benchmark date of Feb 2020](https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2024/consumer-prices-up-2-4-percent-from-september-2023-to-september-2024.htm)** (and energy prices are actually about 10% **lower** ). The higher gas prices in California are mainly due to a combination of state-level clean energy requirements and refinery production issues. Of course no CPI increases would ever happen in a Trump administration because it would be entirely focused on a Reign of Terror seeking retribution against his perceived enemies. The economy would be left to its own devices and any unfavourable price trends would simply be corrected with a Sharpie. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210/60 "2024-10-25T22:57:37Z")
Deeply sad. Cancelled our sub. Noticed some Crossfit friends (I thought) have a Trump sticker on their BMW. What the everloving fuck is going on? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-washington-post-democracy-dies-with-us/1009210.md?page=4)