This is also the time of the campaign season when candidates show off their endorsements and awards. Some readers and campaign staffs ask why the newspaper pays scant attention to them. The answer is we look for endorsements that are so surprising as to constitute news.

For example, the National Federation of Independent Business announced several top of the state ticket endorsements last week, to go with earlier endorsements in legislative races. The NFIB almost uniformly endorses Republicans, and this list was no exception. Almost any incumbent or challenger in a competitive race with an R after his or her name is A-OK with NFIB.

Similarly, Fuse, which is a progressive organization that includes some social service groups and unions, passed out its Sizzle and Fizzle awards. The former are for exemplary efforts in the Legislature, the latter for the opposite. All the sizzles went to Democrats, all the fizzles to Republicans.

What’s the surprise in that?
 

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