The News Media is going to spin the news to their favorite candidates whether they publicly endorse them or not. I have found the endorsements of the Tampa Bay Times to be a handy guide for how NOT to vote.

The News Media needs to be put under a microscope to evaluate their journalistic integrity. They are no longer a trusted source for news and information.

I also used that newspaper article for help in my choices and I am a supporter of most of the Times choices but not all. Some people need help with so many admendments and the only problem I see is that person was too lazy to throw it out after.

Just because someone left that item at the polling place is no reason for anyone to get their knickers in a knot.

Clearly, someone cut out that column, and took it with them as a guide.

Clearly any one of us can do the same, from whatever paper we want, or we can listen to the talk radio louts & write down what they recommend on a 3x5 index card; the effect is the same, a handy written guide.

And unlike Mr Bryce, I find the Tampa Bay Times recommendations to be logical, and quite helpful. While it was easy to have my own views on the Presidential and Senatorial races, it was helpful to have their recommendations on down-the-ballot candidates, on judicial retention issues, & on state constitutional amendments. I had a few voting disagreements with their recommendations, but I largely found them spot on to what was right to do.

Unlike the news media of the radical right and the radical left, the Tampa Bay Times is remarkably moderate and their editorials are well-reasoned.

Aside from that, the newspaper has had a number of brilliantly written exposes of hot issues like the Scientologists, and the so-called "US Navy Veterans Assn." charity scam, and the more recent scandals involving children at some Florida boarding schools.

But, those who are looking for some propaganda mouthpiece are just going to have to continue relying upon the Murdoch papers, and Fox, and MSNBC.

Those are not the kind of readers who will understand the value of the Tampa Bay Times.

I wonder if the clipping had Republican choices straight down the line, if she would still be posing in front of the camera with a frown.... if this Patch article would even exist.

I am OK with the media expressing their recommendations, as long as they also say WHY they opt toward that choice. Tampa Bay Times has been fairly balanced in my view. If you lean far right, I can see how it would be upsetting.

Personally, I look at each candidates website,etc. and see what they have to say, and what they tend to focus on. I went in to vote with two full pages of notes ... long ballot this year. I started this two full months ago, and there was some editing that happened along the way, especially with the amendments. A few that sounded good at first view, started to look pretty bad with further research.

A poll was taken recently how many were influenced by news paper endorsements. It barely matters is how they voted. You can tell just by reading a paper in which direction they lean.