• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, October 19, 2016

It is undoubtedly the most bizarre presidential election in recent memory — and a top contender for all time. One of the many pieces of collateral weirdness is the number of publications that have abandoned their longstanding political neutrality to issue an official endorsement.

The latest of these surprising partisan displays comes from Vogue, the iconic fashion publication, which has strayed from its usual haunt of haut couture to throw its bespoke hat in the ring for Hillary Clinton.

Like the other first-time endorsers, in their unsigned letter to readers, Vogue’s editors were quick to note that the magazine doesn’t usually do this kind of thing, but that unusual circumstances demanded it.

“Vogue has no history of political endorsements. Editors in chief have made their opinions known from time to time, but the magazine has never spoken in an election with a single voice. Given the profound stakes of this one, and the history that stands to be made, we feel that should change.”

Ticking off Clinton’s policy positions, Vogue acknowledged her issues, but argued that these are not disqualifying: “We understand that Clinton has not always been a perfect candidate, yet her fierce intelligence and considerable experience are reflected in policies and positions that are clear, sound, and hopeful.”

With classy circumspection, the editors don’t acknowledge the elephant in the room — the only reason they would abandon the magazine’s traditional neutrality is how objectionable they find Donald Trump.

At the same time, it’s worth noting that editor-in-chief Anna Wintour has openly supported Clinton long before this election, most recently serving as a fashion consultant to her presidential campaign, according to Politico.

As noted, this is just the latest in a series of unusual endorsements from major publications. Previously, USA Today broke with tradition to argue in favor of, well, anyone but Trump, followed by The Atlantic Monthly, whose support for the Democratic candidate marks only the third endorsement in its history. (The previous ones were for Lincoln and LBJ.