Times Playing Safe With Endorsements

The other day, the New York Times endorsed Fernando Ferrer for the Democratic nomination in the New York City mayoral race. The Politicker looks into it further.

Ferrer, like the other Democrats in the race, is a flawed candidate. The Times denounces his proposal to finance education through a new tax on stock trades, however, the page does not go on to detail why it's against that idea. It summarizes Ferrer's accomplishments in the least flattering language possible, making sure that readers don't give the former Bronx president too much credit for the economic improvements that he presided over. The conclusion is simple: [Ferrer is bad but the others are worse].

Perhaps this is because the Times plans to endorse Bloomberg? They endorsed Democrat Mark Green last election, in 2001, but are the Democrats of this race too tarnished from scandal and generic stances to win the approval of the most prestigious mainstream newspaper in the US? Like Christopher Shays of Connecticut, it seems that Mike Bloomberg is another Republican who can count on the support of the New York Times.