Do newspaper endorsements make a difference to you?

As the Sept. 14 primary approaches, New Hampshire newspapers are endorsing candidates.

We've read a spate of them in recent days, with more to come.

Here's a quick rundown as of today:

Foster's Daily Democrat endorsed Frank Giunta in 1st Congressional District GOP primary.

Said Foster's: "His personality is simple and straight forward. Yet his suggestions for solving the problems Washington has created show a depth of understanding that comes from a seasoned leader."

Both the Concord Monitor and Laconia Citizen endorsed John Stephen in the Republican primary for governor.

From the Monitor: " Of all the Republican candidates in the race, he is best positioned to critique the work of Lynch and the Democrats in the Legislature - and to present a clear alternative."

From the Citizen: Stephen understands what people legitimately expect of their government.

Ovide Lamontagne received the Union Leader in his run for the GOP nomination in the U.S. Senate race.

Said the Union Leader: "Ovide is just a smart-as-a-whip, honest, hard-working son of New Hampshire who says what he believes."

Foster's, meanwhile, endorsed Jim Bender in the GOP Senate race.

Its editorial said: "Bender offers the experience, the temperament, the strong leadership, and the right positions on issues that should earn him the votes of New Hampshire Republicans in the Sept. 14 primary."

Both the Union Leader and Foster's made note of the attack and counter-attack campaigns of GOP Senate candidates Kelly Ayotte and Bill Binnie, considered the frontrunners.

Their editorials were as much as an un-endorsement of Ayotte and Binnie as they were endorsements of Bender and Lamontagne.

With their endorsements, newspapers don't intend to tell voters how to vote. Rather, they are meant to educate.

Are they helpful to you? Do you take a newspaper endorsement into account in your assessment of a candidate?