A newspaper in Fauquier County, Va. is dropped the “Democrat” from its title this week after more than a century because the modern political climate is just too imbalanced for people to handle a publication that would use that word in its name. Goodbye, Fauquier Times-Democrat; welcome, Fauquier Times.

The Times, which traces its history back 200 years when it was called Palladium of Liberty—the county’s first newspaper—was called the Fauquier Democrat beginning in 1905. It added the “Times” in 1989 to reflect its ownership by Times Community News. In the 24 years since then, though, politics—both nationally and in Virginia—have become increasingly divisive. And in an editorial published in yesterday’s edition, the paper’s editor, Bill Walsh, wrote that sharing a name with one of the United States’ major political parties, particularly in a consistently Republican place such as Fauquier County, might irk potential readers.

Thing is, though, that the 14,000-circulation, twice-weekly paper had nothing to do with the Democratic Party. In fact, its editorial page’s leanings have tended to run consistently with its target readership. It’s most recent presidential endorsement, in 2008, went to John McCain, that year’s Republican Party nominee. Still, this week’s editorial states, the paper’s name could lead to confusion in today’s hyper-partisan environment:

But in an age which is, perhaps, more shaped and informed by political identity than any other in our history, having a word in our banner that is so associated with a political party is no longer a very astute business decision. The same could be said if, for the last 24-plus years, we had been the Fauquier Times-Republican.

But recent trends in Fauquier County, a horsy exurb about 45 minutes from D.C., don’t favor anything with a capital-D “Democrat” in the name. The Associated Press cites a Virginia Commonwealth University communications professor who credits the rise of tea party groups in the rural county.