As you may know, I am running for the position of Town Supervisor in Stephentown, Rensselaer County, New York.
As with all politics there are issues, personalities, and contention in town. Some of it gets personal and some of it gets nasty.
In our campaign we, the Democratic Slate of Candidates, have made a conscious decision to take the high road and refuse to engage in negative or personal politics.
We believe this campaign is about the future of Stephentown and what is best for our shared community and all its residents.
Unfortunately some in town have decided to... anonymously... take the low road and engage in negative politics and personal attacks.
We think this is a shame and will not engage in it ourselves. We respect our neighbors and our community too much to behave in such a manner. Stephentown is filled with some of the most wonderful people in the world.
A few weeks ago there was a rather weak doggeral attacking one of our candidates and one of our supporters in very personal and nasty ways. This was found on a flyer in a local business parking lot. It is unknown how wide spread it was.
Last week we are told that our opponents started telling people we would cut funding for seniors, veterans, youth, the library, museum, and fire departments if elected.
This was conjured up out of thin air as none of us have made any statements that could even be miscontrued or twisted into such a thing.
Heck! We're Democrats! We believe in such services, programs and funding as positive forces in our communities. If anything we will increase funding for these groups and services. We believe in government as a force for good!
Today we find another anonymous flyer with a rather silly, incoherant, and personal attack on me. Read it and chuckle...
Stephentown is in the midst of an election that has become disgraceful.
The Democrat's "pretty" letter with the history lesson we all received included a proposed project in town that they have been opposing. Yet they boast of it as a benefit they support.
I wasted time on Saturday looking through Andrew White's many blogs on the internet. There seems to be a thread throughout all his writings...a Reverend's son. "Howard Dean made me do it"... Similar to: "The Devil made me do it". His photo caption is: "Andrew's Devilish Grin". One contributor to his blog stated that Andrew will be good at stirring up some trouble.
The hateful, vindictive actions and evil deeds and lies some of the Democratic Representatives and their supporters are coming up with, in an effort to win an election are disgusting. If they spent half as much effort minding their own businesses, they would probably be wealthy.
Is this the leadership we want in our town? Are these the actions and examples we want our children to follow? This is a small town. Not a national election!
Just take a look at most of the current businesses we have in town. The owners are professionals who care about the town and it's people. They provide numerous services to our local people. Many of these owners are running for local office, in a professional manner, showing they have a heart and care what happens in Stephentown.
Let's open our eyes and vote on November 6 for the kind of professional, experienced, caring leadership Stephentown needs.
I couldn't possible agree more with that last sentence.
Please feel free to read through our blog. The "pretty" letter referenced above is contained there. So are all the "disgusting, disgraceful, devilish, hateful, vindictive actions, evil deeds, and lies" that we have engaged in during this campaign.
Is this where I get to point people to my tag line below?
If you find any of that nasty stuff we've been engaging in during our campaign please point it out to me and I'l be happy to correct the record. Despite the fact that our opponents have provided all sorts of material to go negative with we have done our absolute best to be truthful in all things and run a campaign that my preacher father and Quaker mother would be proud of.
One of the reasons that I oppose Republicans politics so strongly these days is that they appear to have lost their way. My Republican friends, neighbors, and family members are good, decent, honest respectable people that, unfortunately, are no longer represented by the behaviors of their elected officials that appear to have become enthralled with the politics of negativity and gotten stuck there.
It is my fervent hope that Republicans will abandon such negative tactics and return to the arena of civil debate on issues, ideas, and potential solutions to the problems that effect us all.
We, the Democrats, await their return. Our system of government works best when multiple viewpoints are heard in public debate and the best of both are put to work while the worst is rejected.
The politics of negativity is just the sort of thing that needs rejecting. It serves none of us well.
Peace,
Andrew