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Editorial: Endorsements will seek leaders whose first priority is finding solutions

In this space eight years ago, we began an editorial on the 2012 elections with this sentence: "It is difficult to remember a more partisan time in Washington and in our national politics."

Wow! Compared to today, we didn't know what partisanship was then. The divisions were deep then, but nowhere near as angry or as ugly as they are today.

"It is," we wrote, "a climate that calls for thoughtful debate, and an environment that cries out for solution-oriented leaders who care more about addressing our problems than toeing the party line."

It was true then. It is even truer today.

That is our guiding light as we begin, later this week, offering our endorsements in most of the races that will be on suburban ballots in the March 17 primary elections - county, state and national, with a few local referendum questions included for good measure.

Our Editorial Board has been busy interviewing the candidates and reviewing their records and ideas, their attributes and credentials.

We view the Daily Herald's editorial page voice as neither conservative nor liberal, but mainly one that embraces common sense and cherished common decency.

We value independence. We oppose big spending. We espouse empathy, equal opportunity and personal liberty. We revel in foresight and believe it to be the duty of a public servant.

We think a caring society looks out for its neighbors, including those less advantaged. We believe in hard work and think government policy ought to be designed to encourage it.

And we are appalled by politics of rancor, ridicule and insult. All of us in these suburbs and in this great republic are in it together and we owe it to ourselves to act like it.

All this has been our unwavering philosophy for the many decades since the editorial page began offering opinions and recommendations.

These are the underpinnings of the endorsements we will make, beginning later this week. With seriousness of purpose, we try to get those endorsements right. That doesn't mean we always do. Perfection is an elusive thing.

We hope these recommendations serve you. Obviously, we hope you will consider them.

But in offering them, we don't assume their infallibility. They are one tool to consider as you address your obligation of citizenship - to cast a wise and well-reasoned vote.

In that 2012 editorial, we also said this: "Partisanship creates obstacles to real solutions and breeds a corrosive cynicism in the life of the republic. If there is any single attribute our endorsements prize this year, it is a spirit of collaboration, genuine bipartisanship. Where we find it, we will strive to recommend it."

This time around, that goes double.

See you at the polls.

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