Newspaper’s GOP Endorsement No Surprise Behind Curtain

So the big newspaper finally got around to it. Reading their endorsement, you'd think they were holding their nose while writing it, until you got to that buried line about the candidate being a compliment they didn't mean to give. They called him the prototype of a United States Senator. That phrase says more than a thousand words of hedging ever could.

The editorial board likely wanted to ding him for style or tone, but they couldn't deny the substance. He shows up, says what he means, and doesn't treat conservatism like a dirty word. The donors and the DC crowd prefer their Republicans polished and apologetic, but the voters back home want someone who actually fights. The paper sees risk where the rest of us see a leader.

Here is the disconnect that matters. The press keeps looking for the old guard, the senator who will go along to get along and split the difference. But the base is tired of that act. We didn't send them to Washington to make friends with the media; we sent them to break things up. When the establishment paper signals they are uneasy, that is usually the first clue we are on the right track.

The GOP is done with the era of nervous hand-wringing. The party's renewal runs through candidates who refuse to apologize for their votes. If the local paper finally noticed he fits the bill, maybe they deserve a sliver of credit for admitting it. Just don't expect us to thank them for their courage. They had to read the polling to get there.