More recycled editorials

Today's first editorial is two-weeks-old and comes from Ogden’s Elkins paper, The Intermountain. The editorial comes out against bullies:

It’s Time to End Bullying in W.Va.

Coming soon: “Don’t Litter,” “Avoid Texting While Driving,” and “Don't Forget to Get Your Flu Shot.”

The second editorial, which apparently came from Ogden’s Marietta paper, is about Ohio schools:

Staffing Issues at Schools

In the editorial, the Cuyahoga Falls superintendent is quoted on Ohio’s problems with staffing its schools. Cuyahoga Falls is 134 miles from Wheeling – why is this superintendent's problem of interest to a Wheeling reader? Because Ohio is just across the river? (One of my readers once pointed out to me that some eastern Ohioans prefer the Intelligencer to the Martins Ferry Times-Leader. I’m not sure why? If it's timeliness, Ogden’s Martins Ferry paper printed this same editorial back on October 18.)

The syndicated columnists

Mona Charen asks “Will CRT Help to Sink McCauliff?” Charen is talking about the Virginia gubernatorial race in which the Democratic candidate has labeled Critical Race Theory as a manufactured “racist dog whistle.” In her column, Charen doesn’t demonstrate that any school (anywhere) is teaching it although she does claim that some in Virginia are using “CRT-adjacent lessons.” (Huh? What is that? Is that teaching about slavery? Charen doesn’t explain.) Terry McCauliff is right: CRT is a bogus issue cooked up and kept in the spotlight by right-wing media. Ogden is doing its part.

Larry Elder, fresh off of his California gubernatorial defeat, is back to writing his syndicated column. Today’s Elder column combines reflections on current issues with comments about his failed campaign. For example, there’s this simplistic comparison:

Students in communist China study science, technology, engineering and math. Students in America study "critical race theory." What could possibly go wrong?

Elder does mention some important stuff, however:

Reporters described the white woman who threw that egg at me during my gubernatorial campaign as "wearing a gorilla mask." At the risk of my sounding sexist, how do we know it was a mask? Maybe she was having a bad hair day.

You're beyond “sexist,” Larry.

A very old op-ed

Sitting at the top of today’s editorial page is an old column by WV state senator, Glenn Jeffries:

A Rare Opportunity for W.Va.

How old? This opinion piece on rare earth elements was first published three months ago in the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

(Sorry, no local link – the op-ed’s “best by . . . “ has apparently expired. Here is the G-M version.)

Ogden’s political reporter

Steven Allen Adams’ weekly opinion piece appears on page 7.

In the column, Adams reflects on last week’s poll which showed McKinley ahead of Mooney. (See previous post.) Adams believes that the eventual winner may the one who is the “most Trump-y.” Additionally, Adams’ column dedicates considerable space complaining that the new northern WV congressional district should have been labeled district #1 and not #2. To that end, he notes that these new labels “angered” Senator Capito. (Okay, I also think they should have been reversed but I will somehow try to move on.)

Locally, Representative David McKinley is at the top of the Intelligencer’s favorite list. (He shares that spot with Senator Shelley Moore Capito.) I don’t know, however, if McKinley's standing in Wheeling is the same at other Ogden papers located in West Virginia's new congressional district. Adams may provide some clues. In this column, for instance, Adams noted some of the strengths and weaknesses of both candidates. On McKinley, he stated that he has “an ability to get bills through even a Democratic-controlled House.” Really? How about an example? Or is Adams talking about those 296 McKinley co-sponsorships that are good for public relations but have nothing to do with the bill’s passage or his actual effectiveness? (See two posts down.)