Press-Republican

Opinion

Discussion

PLEASE NOTE: There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

ALSO NOTE: Derisive name-calling of an individual or group will result in the entire comment being deleted. This includes the terms "stupid" and "idiot" and similar references.

Welcome to our new online comments feature. Before you can join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address.

Once you do, your comments will post after they have been reviewed by a moderator.

We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean.

Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified, at the newspaper’s discretion, for a number of reasons. Here are some typical practices to avoid in trying to get your comment printed:

There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

Don’t state as a fact something that is unsubstantiated or that our editors wouldn't know to be true.

Don’t presume someone’s guilt in a case when it hasn't been established by a court.

Don’t assail or impugn an identifiable individual or group. If you have that kind of criticism, sign your name and submit it as a Letter to the Editor. (There is some leeway on this in connection with public officials, but it is not unconditional.)

Don’t use profanity. This includes the term “tea bagger.”

Don’t be incendiary or tasteless. Those qualities are subjective, of course, and our editors will be the arbiters.

Do not identify yourself in the main content area of the article content form. Only by enforcing this rule can the moderators prevent unscrupulous commenters from falsely identifying themselves as someone they are not.

Don't type in all caps. It is considered the Internet equivalent of shouting.

In sports articles, do not criticize officiating.

Remember, moderators are not allowed to edit any article comments. If an article comment fails any of the above criteria, the entire comment will be deleted.

We monitor comments Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Approval of comments outside these times may be delayed.
comments powered by Disqus
November 2, 2009

EDITORIAL: Today's your day to steer your government

We have no presidential election this year to bring out the voters. No gubernatorial election, either, or U.S. Senate, or even State Senate.

But, in spite of the absence of so-called marquee races, this election season is bristling with excitement. For once, we have a breathtakingly competitive and compelling race for the 23rd District seat in the House of Representatives. We haven't been able to say that in decades. Many decades.

For, while we've had very good candidates challenging the Republican incumbents, those incumbents have never been in any real danger of losing. The district stretches across 11 upstate counties and is heavily Republican. This year, though, there is no incumbent, and we all know the enormous advantage incumbency confers.

John M. McHugh, the latest in a long line of GOP representatives from the North Country, is the new secretary of the Army. Some people believe President Obama reached across the aisle to nominate him mainly to give the Democrats a shot at finally winning the 23rd District.

Plattsburgh attorney William Owens, a political neophyte but a man with a rather prominent public profile, is the party's choice to wage the fight. To his good fortune, he had not one but two opponents: Republican Assemblywoman Dierdre Scozzafava of Gouverneur and Conservative Douglas Hoffman of Lake Placid. The reason this was good news for Owens was that the two opponents were likely to split the traditional Republican vote — as testimony to the quandary in which some Republicans find themselves, noted Conservative Republican Newt Gingrich has endorsed the far more liberal Scozzafava instead of Hoffman.

Then, Saturday, we learned that Scozzafava had been coaxed out of the race by her party, which saw the split within threatening to hand the election to Owens. For the first time in more than 150 years, this congressional district could send a Democrat to Washington. And that Democrat could live in the less populous eastern side of the district, the first time that would have happened in many decades. The Republicans hope to avert that calamity by rallying around Hoffman.

The race has attracted national attention, being that it's the only congressional contest of the year. If it doesn't attract extraordinary local attention, shame on all of us who make up the electorate. We have a local race with national implications and a slate of intelligent, informed, aggressive candidates — all the makings of an election capable of raising the pulse rates of voters.

Two other races have more regionalized fascination: In Essex County, voters will decide between incumbent Democratic District Attorney Julie Garcia and Republican challenger Kristy Sprague; and in Clinton County, the often ho-hum race for treasurer is enlivened by two long-time, well-known political operatives facing off: incumbent Republican Joseph Giroux and Democratic challenger Martin Mannix.

We hope that all this, along with many smaller-scale local races, will inspire you to get into that voting booth and fulfill your obligation. It's an obligation you should treasure.

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Editorial

Cheers and Jeers

Letters to the Editor

Speakout

In My Opinion

Recent Columns