When we published our endorsement of Senator Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination last Thursday, we didn't fully comprehend the response we'd get.
But as it turned out, we were the first Pennsylvania newspaper and just the fourth college newspaper nationwide to endorse her.
One question I've been asked many times since then is why we picked the candidate known to be vastly less popular with our audience. The answer is basic: Our Opinion Board is not a barometer of public opinion - and it shouldn't be.
Instead, the point of our editorials is to offer our insight and analysis on issues relevant to Penn students.
In this case, the Board made its decision after a lengthy discussion, in which student representatives for each campaign had the opportunity to speak to us. We hope this has sparked more healthy debate on campus - in fact, I've already seen some of that unfold.
I should also say that our endorsement has not and will not impact our news coverage in any way; we strive to separate Opinion from News. Consider, for example, how we published the results of a poll on Friday - the day after our endorsement - showing that 73 percent of Penn students support Senator Barack Obama.
Likewise, the Opinion Page will continue to be a forum for the free expression of ideas, regardless of viewpoint. Yesterday we ran a column by Lauren Burdette, president of Penn Dems, about her organization's endorsement of Obama.
As always, please get in touch if you have any feedback or questions.
David Lei is a Wharton sophomore from Brooklyn, N.Y. and executive editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian. His e-mail is lei@dailypennsylvanian.com.
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