Voters largely ignored newspaper endorsements

An Ebola virus advisory from Hackensack University Medical Center urges visitors to the Alfred N. Sanzari Medical Arts Building at 360 Essex St. to "tell a member of our healthcare team if you have traveled to areas in Western Africa."

Meanwhile, the sidewalk was closed in front of Starbucks Coffee and Cosi, the latest phase of construction work that rebuilt the parking lot at the busy medical arts building.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Today's front page story on why GOP radical Rep. Scott Garrett was elected to a seventh term goes on and on, but doesn't mention The Record and other newspapers endorsed Democratic Challenger Roy Cho of Hackensack.

In fact, voters on Tuesday also ignored The Record's endorsement of two Republicans seeking freeholder seats, and its recommendations for a larger nature center in Tenafly and against a constitutional amendment to fund open space. 

Even in races where voters followed The Record's endorsements, I'm sure the editors would have a hard time showing they had any influence, and they certainly didn't inspire a larger turnout than in previous elections.

In effect, The Record and other newspapers did an awful job covering the campaigns, spending too much time on politics and too little on issues.

The Woodland Park daily's adoring editors also spent too much time promoting Governor Christie's potential White House run and too little on the mess he has made in New Jersey (A-1 on Thursday and A-3 today).

Wait until Jan. 3

The GOP won't regain control of the U.S. Senate until Jan. 3, but all I've heard since Wednesday is endless jawboning on TV and public radio about a renewed confrontation between the Republicans and President Obama.

The Record's lead story today is a warning from the Republican House speaker, who seems to think he is running the country (A-1).

So, Obama has nearly two full months to implement changes in immigration and other policies through executive orders, the only way he has been able to accomplish anything in the face of gridlock in Washington.

Rep. Donald Payne Jr., the black Democrat from Newark who was reelected on Tuesday, told WBGO-FM news he fears congressional Republicans will try to impeach Obama.