Photo by from-the-window.

In the Not Surprising At All Department, the Post has published its endorsement of Mayor Adrian Fenty for September’s Democratic primary.

The endorsement, which is given “enthusiastically” and will appear in Sunday’s print edition, speaks highly of Fenty’s role in promoting positive changes in the city, from improving the District’s public schools to overseeing a drop in crime. It admits to Fenty’s failings, notably his “almost pathological unwillingness to consult outside his inner circle,” but commends his vision for the city. On Vincent Gray, his principal opponent, the editorial questions whether the D.C. Council Chairman actually has his own vision for the city, or is simply running out of “animus toward Mr. Fenty.”

While the endorsement isn’t a shock, the timing of it is. When the Post endorsed Fenty in 2006, it did so just a week before the primary — when its words would resonate in the minds of voters preparing to go to the polls. This time, the endorsement comes a month-and-a-half early, and just as the District’s August exodus is about to begin. Is the Post trying to bury its endorsement, or is it merely laying the groundwork for a series of future editorials repeating its preference for Fenty, who is facing a tough re-election battle? I’d go with the latter — expect more pro-Fenty editorializing from the Post in the weeks to come.

Does the endorsement matter? Well, yes. Sure, we can all argue that print media is slowly dying, but the Post still has a lot of readers, and its endorsements still carry a good amount of weight. For those Fenty supporters that may have gotten a little weak in the knees over the last few months — especially in his strongholds of wards 2 and 3 — the Post’s glowing recommendation will surely help make up their minds.