Washington City Paper is breaking all sorts of longstanding traditions to endorse Arthur Delaney for Advisory Neighborhood Commission seat 6B08.

City Paper has never endorsed candidates as an institution, typically leaving that job to crack political reporter Loose Lips. And Loose Lips has never endorsed candidates in advisory neighborhood commission races, considering those pissant offices well below his pay grade.

But just as the Chicago Tribune threw away decades of pro-Republican tradition to endorse Barack Obama this year, City Paper is forced to reexamine its course by the prospect of having a community advocate as talented, as focused, as driven as Arthur Delaney serve the residents of east Capitol Hill. Not endorsing Mr. Delaney would be an unforgivable error of historic proportions.

Mr. Delaney’s singular focus on single-beer sales reflects a preternatural political talent, one that can bring the people of 6B08 together under one principal: Can’t we all just have a beer?

Don’t get us wrong: Mr. Delaney isn’t just a one-beer man. He’s been seen enjoying multiple beers from time to time, on the concrete pad in front of his apartment, as well as at local watering holes such as Tune Inn, Trusty’s, Tune Inn, Capitol Lounge, and Tune Inn.

But Mr. Delaney is a singles man at heart. Like all the residents of 6B08, he is a hard worker—-we at Washington City Paper can absolutely testify to his devotion as a freelance journalist (to wit, his willingness to pursue this assignment)—-and he deserves to buy a single beer for his refreshment after a long day’s toil, as do we all.

So we must join Mr. Delaney in his cri de coeur: Sometimes, you just want one!

—-The Editors