THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 5, 1994 TAG: 9411050617
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF AND WIRE REPORT
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
At least a dozen newspapers or groups of papers serving Virginia have endorsed Democratic U.S. Sen. Charles S. Robb for re-election, compared with at least nine for Republican Oliver L. North and four for independent J. Marshall Coleman.
The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star and The Journal Newspapers of Northern Virginia declined to endorse any candidate.
Following are excerpts from some of the endorse-ments:
FOR ROBB:
The Roanoke Times & World-News said it ``can hardly neglect the past misdeeds of Sen. Charles Robb or applaud his awkward candidacy. But no one need mistake the incumbent for a paragon to prefer his election, not when the alternative is an impulsive demagogue. . . . Do Virginians want a fiscal conservative? Robb fits the bill. A return to traditional values? Respect for laws of the land is pretty traditional. Effective representation of Virginia interests? North might exploit his election on the national scene but still lack influence in the institution he scorned.''
Other papers that endorsed Robb include the Daily Press of Newport News, the Virginia Review, The Washington Post, The News & Advance of Lynchburg, The Culpeper Star-Exponent, the Times newspapers of Northern Virginia, the Clarke Courier and The Daily Progress of Charlottesville.
FOR NORTH:
The Richmond Times-Dispatch said that with former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder out of the race, North is the ``easy and clear'' choice. ``In the realm of comparative flaws, notably as they relate to fidelity and the truth, North's are less egregious by far. Yet given that the winner of this election is going to be more or less flawed, comparative stands on the issues may - indeed, should - prove decisive. And on the issues, North wins in a walk.
``Oliver North seems to speak to the despondent modern sense that something with life is awry, missing, wrong. And what is wrong, principally, is the heavy hand of intrusive government driven by the condescending and intellectually threadbare view that government understands better, hence acts and spends more sensibly, than individuals possibly could.''
Other papers endorsing North are the Washington Times, the Tidewater News, the Winchester Star, the Amherst-New Era Progress, the Warren Sentinel, the Page News & Courier, the Daily News Record of Harrisonburg and the Times-News of Kingsport.
FOR COLEMAN:
The Danville Register & Bee said, ``In a campaign that has focused almost exclusively on character, only one candidate has enough to represent Virginia in the U.S. Senate - J. Marshall Coleman.''
The Free Lance-Star of Fredericksburg, the Potomac News of Woodbridge and the Waynesboro News-Virginian also endorsed Coleman.
KEYWORDS: SENATE RACE CANDIDATE CAMPAIGN ENDORSEMENT by CNB