EDITORIAL:Look closely at political endorsements

The parade of political endorsements for this fall’s city council and school board elections has started in earnest.

The Orange County Republicans have made their picks. Democratic groups are having their say. The California Republican Assembly has weighed in. The teachers’ union chose its candidates.

The question is: Are these endorsements meaningful and trustworthy? Voters need to ask themselves that, for a simple reason: Many endorsements are ultimately about politics. A candidate’s position on issues could get trumped, or at least qualified, by questions such as: Who knows whom? Who has backed which candidate in the past? Which candidate might be more likely to support pay raises for unions? The list goes on.

In other words, having the support of public safety employees does not necessarily mean that candidate is the most dedicated to public safety. And having a prominent person’s endorsement could just mean that candidate knows the right person.

Now, all that doesn’t mean that endorsements aren’t useful to voters. They can provide helpful guidelines — Did my party support these people or this ballot measure? Did a group I trust endorse them? — but should not be taken just at face value. Indeed, informed voters ought to take a close look at why a certain person or certain group is backing a particular candidate. They should ask whether there is more to the support than meets the eye.

Remember, in politics, there typically is.