I have never endorsed a candidate for public office, whether it was for district attorney, mayor, city councilor, state representative, U.S. Senator or President of the United States. That was both necessary and demanded of journalists 50 years ago. Audiences and readers were able to trust that the news they saw on TV, heard on radio and read in newspapers was objective and fair because most journalists were objective and fair.
The first national election I covered as a journalist was Richard Nixon vs Hubert Humphrey vs George Wallace in 1968. It was a difficult election year for many reasons. It was the first presidential election after the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. George Wallace led a strong third party effort based on the idea of racial segregation. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in April of ’68, which led to riots across the country. Senator Robert Kennedy was assassinated in June of ’68, just two months before the Democratic National Convention. The Democratic Convention in Chicago was the scene of violent protests between young people who were against the Vietnam War and police and national guardsmen. I mention that as a reminder that this year’s presidential election is not the first time electing a President has been a challenge for the country.
Our nation is made up of tens of millions of voting-age people who have a wide range of political viewpoints. Who can bring us together? Who can best lead us into our country’s future? As I mentioned earlier, I have never endorsed a candidate for public office and won’t begin now. However, I do have some great advice for you.
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