Counting on them to do little harm!

Well it's not the most resounding endorsement ever offered up, but there it is. The heading of this post is the basic point we should take from the Globe and Mail's editorial support for Paul Martin and the Liberals. The Globe has jumped into the federal election with a nudge to the governing Liberal party, apparently not prepared to throw the keys to the car to that young whipper snapper Stephen Harper.

While regular readers of the Globe would have noticed a decidedly Liberal bent in its articles and columns, it still is interesting to see the usually on the right Globe picking a Grit. While it's not quite the party organ that the Toronto Star is, the Globe none the less has painted a more reassuring picture of the Martin forces than its competitors the National Post and the Sun papers.

Those two publications are decidedly on the side of the Harper forces, shuddering at the idea of another term of Liberal rule. The Front page of today's National Post features a banner urging the reader to check out their editorial on A17, with the banner lead of HARPER FOR PM: Unapologetic, principled - obviously the man for the job. They at least are true to their convictions. We provide for you a link to the Post's editorial rhetoric, as they have lifted the Asper wall! While they still insist on making us pay for their on line regurgiatation, they will let us read the editorial of support gratis. For the rest of their coverage, you'll have to spend a buck, or use your imagination! (BTW a smart marketing person would have convinced Asper central to open the doors during the election so as to lure potential new converts to the cause, but nope a buck is a buck in Asperland)

The Globe's editorial rather than explore any positives of the Liberals, tends to give the Prime Minsitership to Martin by default. Suggesting that the Liberal near death experience may help old Paul Martin to govern into the future.

Not exactly the kind of endorsement you'll be seeing on any last minute TV ads. "Pick our guy, he'll do no harm" or "Nearly dead, we now repent". As far as a posititioning statements go they need a bit of work.

As the campaign winds down, one hopes the Liberal paper in Toronto will come up with a more glowing endorsement of their guy. To tide us over until the Editorial board brings the tablets down from Liberal HQ, the Star provided a Carol Goar primer for election day.

As for the Sun papers, one just assumes that Stephen Harper will be the greatest thing since sliced bread, with jam to make him even more appealing. There really isn't much more that they can do for his campaign, columnists time and time again have railed against the Liberals and the hordes of Socialism the NDP. If you're reading the Sun, there's a good chance you already know who Stephen Harper is and what he's about.

Sadly for the newspaper industry this mini circulation war will come to an end on Monday. Once the campaign is over and done the ads will dry up, the stories will grow thinner, as will the readership. Fortunately for the columnists, there will always be a scandal just around the corner, interestingly enough the country has run smoother during the campaign than when they take office. Perhaps there's a lesson in that idea for all of us to study. Keep them busy and they can't get into any trouble!