Acton wins Cleveland Plain Dealer endorsement in Ohio governor’s race
The Plain Dealer said it was staying out of Ohio's toss-up races, then turned around and endorsed Amy Acton. That reversal is the real story. I'd want to know what changed between the paper's initial announcement and Sunday's decision. Maybe the editorial board saw something in the campaign, maybe the race shifted, maybe the earlier pledge was never meant to be absolute. Without that explanation, the endorsement raises as many questions as it answers.
Endorsements from a major paper still matter around the edges, especially in a primary where voters are sorting through a crowded field. But they don't decide elections. The Plain Dealer's voice carries weight in Cleveland, and Acton will use it to argue she has momentum. Republicans will use the same endorsement to paint the paper as partisan. Both reactions are predictable, and neither tells us much about how Ohioans will actually vote.
Where I land: the endorsement is a useful data point, not a verdict. I'd want to know more about the paper's reasoning, and whether it plans to weigh in on other races now that it has broken its own rule. Consistency matters, even in endorsements.