Country newspapers were fiercely partisan in their politics and editors did not hesitate to express their opinions. Under the editorship of Joel Lyle, the paper’s politics supported the Democratic-Republican party against the Federalists, supporting the War of 1812 in which many Kentuckians fought, and allying with the politics of Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams against Andrew Jackson. When the party split in 1824, the Western Citizen supported the Whig party whose charismatic leader, Senator Henry Clay, hailed from Lexington, Kentucky and was one of the state’s most influential 19th century politicians at the national level.

During the Civil War, the Western Citizen supported the Union cause and opposed secession. The paper’s war coverage vilified the Confederates and championed the Union, despite considerable Confederate support within the Bourbon county citizenry. In 1864 when Abraham Lincoln was returned to office in a bitterly fought contest, the Western Citizen published vote totals that showed Bourbon County overwhelmingly opposed Lincoln, following the rest of the state.

After the war, the paper espoused Democratic Party principles under the editorship of F. L. McChesney and Lemuel Fisher. Conservative Democratic values characterized the paper’s political stance throughout the 20th century. Paul Brannon was known for his fiery editorials and his willingness to take on controversial issues.