Editorial Viewpoint

Recent surveys conclude that editorial endorsements rarely change the minds of voters. With that in mind, the Whitefish Pilot will not make candidate endorsements. The Pilot sponsored last week's debate and provided candidates bios in order to provide you with food for thought, instead of spoon feeding you.

That is not to say we do not have opinions. One thing that the year's event has shown this staff is that involving people in the process makes a product that serves a greater majority. This kind of roll-up-your-sleeves, sit at the table and start talking attitude was exemplified under state trust lands issues with the formation of the Advisory Group. The group and subsequent made believers out of skeptics and got people with different viewpoints to agree on a common solution.

Selecting candidates that support this sort of collaborative effort, and then making sure they continue to cultivate it, serves the greatest good. The process of divergent viewpoints sitting down and talking can be painstaking, but it is part of our democratic process.

The democratic process doesn't stop after you cast your vote. Stay informed. Make sure your candidate keeps up on their promises. And keeps talking to both sides of the proverbial fence.