Readers question The Denver Post endorsement of Melat Kiros

A recent editorial by The Denver Post has sparked a wave of reader criticism regarding the publication’s endorsement of Democratic candidate Melat Kiros for Congress. The October 25 piece, titled “Vote for Melat Kiros,” drew sharp responses from residents in Denver, Boulder, and Highlands Ranch who argue that the endorsement conflicts with the newspaper’s historical positions and Kiros’s specific policy stances.

Sara Zessar of Denver expressed disappointment over the decision, citing Kiros’s comments on the Boulder firebombing. In a recent interview with Denver7, Kiros stated that while she heard many people view the attack on Jewish people as antisemitic, she believed it was specifically targeting Zionism and Israel. Zessar argued that this stance effectively blames the victims, implying that Jews are in danger because of the war in Israel. She noted that most Jews in America and Israel have no say in the Israeli government’s actions and should not be penalized for them. Zessar compared the situation to the 2015 shooting at a Black church in Charleston, South Carolina, asking if a major paper would endorse a candidate running in that state who refused to call such a crime racist. She identified Shimon Blau as the only reasonable choice in the election.

Hank Bootz from Denver focused on the political ideology of Kiros’s party, the Democratic Socialists of America. Bootz highlighted that the DSA advocates for abolishing capitalism and questioned the irony of a major newspaper endorsing such a candidate. He suggested that if the paper truly embraced these values, it might become a universal publication without subscription fees or advertising charges.

Scott Newell of Denver pointed to what he sees as a contradiction in the editorial board’s behavior. He noted that the same publication that championed the release of Tina Peters, a rightist election-denier felon, is now supporting a left-wing socialist. Newell described the move as resembling schizophrenia rather than balance. He also addressed the confusion surrounding the term socialism, noting that while democratic socialism retains free-market mechanisms, it often leads to the idea that a welfare state removes the causes of crime, thereby justifying the defunding of police. Newell argued that mainstream America seeks security and sober-minded candidates, and that the leverage Democrats gain from war and high inflation is being negated by candidates like Kiros.

Marc Wasserman from Highlands Ranch raised constitutional concerns about the endorsement. He asked The Denver Post, a defender of freedom of the press, how it could support a candidate who wants to restructure society and eventually end America’s capitalist economy. While acknowledging that complicated policy conversations are part of the American experience, Wasserman argued that supporting a candidate whose solution is to end the United States is not, and he expressed hope that the newspaper organization would recognize this distinction.

The letters reflect a broader debate within the Boulder and Denver communities about the alignment of major media endorsements with the specific platforms of progressive candidates in the current congressional race.