I mean come on. #shuttertheedboard

Who should fill Hutchison's boots? The Apple Dumpling Gang, ChronBlog

Given a magic wand, we'd order up a replacement who would blend the skills of Hutchison with those of Lloyd Bentsen - with just a pinch of the calculated orneriness of Lyndon Johnson.

In other words, you'd order up a Democratic Senator to win the Republican nomination.

Really gang?

The killer now is that, after this paean to past Democratic Senators, they go and endorse David Dewhurst because he's....well...closest to what they think Republicans should be (i.e. Democrat lite)

Our dream resume would read: collegial, well-versed on issues foreign and domestic, a tough bargainer who keeps his word; above all, skilled in the traditional Senate ways of civil give and take, and in tune with the needs and views of the millions who make up the Texas mainstream. That's asking a lot.......(snip)  our endorsement goes to Lt. Gov. Dewhurst, with a nod of acknowledgment to Leppert's well-conceived candidacy.

OK then.  The problem the Gang, and other editorial boards, are going to have, is that Dewhurst is the likely winner, and he's shunned them (a la Rick Perry) from the beginning of this campaign.  I believe that we're going to see more and more of this, especially from Republican candidates, as editorial board endorsements mean less and less.

You know the gang wanted to endorse Leppert, but he's got as much chance of winning the primary as Obama does of carrying Texas in the general.  i.e. none.  The problem these editorial boards are currently facing is that they share little in common (other than perhaps a geographical similarity) with their few remaining readers.

The Gang is reduced to two general types of comments:

1. Readers commenting on what a bunch of liberals run the place.

2. Matt Bramanti coming in and continuously pointing out their copious factual and content errors.  It's the Lord's work, but Bramanti is tireless and has an eagle eye for finding them.

It's long past time to shutter the ed board and re-deploy the resources to local reporting.  If there's one area where the Chron could take the lead Nationally, this would be it, and it'd have the biggest (positive) impact on Houston news.