With just days left in the historic 2008 election the editorial boards of papers around the country are choosing their presidential endorsements.

The editorial board of a newspaper is separate from the news content side and expresses the opinion of the editorial board or the publisher. Paper endorsements are based on the stated policies of the candidates and how those policies track with the policies of that editorial board.

In this video, four editorial page editors of major newspaper describe which issues they decided their endorsement on: taxes, energy, health care, immigration entitlements, foreign policy and hope. To date Senator Obama is outpacing Senator McCain 2 to 1 in newspaper endorsements.

"It wasn't an easy decision, Judy, but we approached this recommendation by looking at five areas that the newspaper had historically weighed in on, issues like the economy, energy, tax policy, health care, immigration entitlements." - J.R. Labbe, Fort Worth Star Telegram:

"We believe that McCain is simply superior in terms of judgment, experience on foreign policy and military affairs, and we still believe this is a dangerous world."—Bob Raynor, Richmond Times Dispatch

"The bottom line for us is that we felt that there were two real criteria to look at here, and the most important one being leadership, but hope also was one that we looked at."-- Harold Jackson, Philadelphia Inquirer

1. What is an editorial in a newspaper? What is an editorial board?

2. What is your local paper? Can you name some other newspapers?

1. Do you think that newspapers should endorse candidates? Why or why not?

2. Do newspaper endorsements influence your choice?

3. Does it surprise you that newspapers are not impartial to the candidates? Why or why not? Do you trust the newspaper more, less or the same now that you know who they endorse?

4. What qualities do you use to evaluate candidates?

5. Look up your local newspaper and see if they have made an endorsement. If it has, what do you think of it?