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FIVE DAYS LATER, ON the last Sunday before the primaries, the Herald endorsed Bruce Singer as the Democratic nominee for governor. The editorial listed the accomplishments to which June Bates could point with pride during her years in the House. It also commented favorably on the continuing trend that was seeing more women attempt to move into the highest positions of leadership throughout the country. But it gave seven different reasons for supporting Singer’s candidacy, including his years of experience as lieutenant governor.

The Herald did not endorse either Richie Cardella or Doug Fiore on the Republican side. “This is the first time in our newspaper’s history, since we began supporting one candidate over another that we have failed to take a position. The unusual circumstances facing us demand such a result.”

Still, the editorial felt the need to point out that Cardella’s condition remained critical. “His doctors will not even venture a guess as to when he might be released from intensive care. Obviously, any recovery will take an unknown and indefinite amount of time. It’s a foregone conclusion that he’d be unable to campaign any further, were he to win the primary. Moreover, were Cardella somehow to be successful in both the primary and general elections, the citizens of Rhode Island must realize that whoever is elected to the office of lieutenant governor might well be at the helm of State government for an extended period of time.”

The fairness and statesmanship Fiore showed by essentially terminating his own campaign as soon as Cardella was struck down was remarked upon in the piece. The editorial also emphasized that based on Fiore’s stated positions, there was no issue of prime importance to the people of the State on which the Herald editors would speak against his election.

Cyril Berman was elated when he finished reading the commentary. The polls had tightened up in the last few days, as they normally did. News analysts on both radio and television, referring to the margin of error in the different results, were saying that the race was virtually a dead heat. Berman felt that the substance of the Herald’s non-endorsement was an effort to encourage Republicans to throw their support behind Fiore in the primary. The newspaper clearly hoped to have a candidate who was in a position to wage an all-out battle against Bruce Singer for the governorship of the State. He expected it to be enough to tip the election their way.

Berman started to dial Fiore’s telephone number, to let him know how good he felt about the latest development. Halfway through he stopped, realizing that Doug would probably respond by saying that he hoped Cyril was right. Despite the praise heaped on Fiore in the editorial for discontinuing the campaign when he did, there would be no recognition of the good advice Cyril gave him. Instead, Doug was sure to say that if he lost, they would have only Berman to blame for not taking advantage of Cardella’s disability. It was too nice a day to let it get spoiled that way, Berman thought. He hung up the phone and got ready to go to breakfast.