2012 Primary Special Features Another Local Election Filled With Meaningless Campaigning

Every two years, I get optimistic that political candidates will suddenly grow more idealistic. Not people running for president or Congress, especially since the Citizens United decision, but local candidates running for the seats that arguably have a greater impact on your day to day quality of life. Yet every cycle it gets worse – more money poured into even the smallest races, more baseless attack ads, and more irrelevant campaigning on hot-buttoned issues that have nothing to do with the seats the candidates are competing for.

I've seen supervisor of elections and county commission candidates in the same ridiculous profile pose, shotgun in tow, promising they'll be pro gun ownership – as if they'll be deciding second amendment issues or appointing Supreme Court Justices, ditto for pro-life. It reminds me of the time a certain presidential candidate donned a wet-suit and was photographed in noticeable discomfort as he tried to windsurf. Our publisher, a 22-year County Commission veteran and lifelong Republican, was even attacked for owning this publication, citing (though inaccurately) coverage of hot-button issues as proof to local Republicans that he was an ”Obama liberal,“ an assertion that was good for more than a couple of laughs around the office. 

The ad seemed to suggest that by owning a news publication, anything that was published in it, from news coverage to Op/Eds to letters to the editor, were automatically attributable as his deeply-held convictions. It was almost as if the modern news environment, in which deeply-partisan bias has become the norm, suggests that letting something make it to print that doesn't communicate the unofficial talking points of your party is treason.

TBT readers can take heart in knowing that the publisher's ideological beliefs have no bearing on what we cover or what editorial position we take – he reads it when you do and has no less of a problem disagreeing with me or other opinion columnists than our readers. The fact that his personal convictions don't dictate what we can and can't publish in print should be seen as a good thing, as should the fact that his primary concern has always been factual accuracy and a mandate that even opinion pieces contain concrete data to support a position, and never distort facts to support a view – any view. He didn't start The Bradenton Times so that he could become a news editor or bombard voters with his opinions. He started it so that he could hire competent staff to provide an alternative news source in Manatee County, believing that taxpayers were best served with a maximum amount of information and perspectives from which to develop an informed opinion, hopefully inspiring more of them to become involved in the affairs of their community.

I realize that's much deeper than the typical direct mail piece, but the best answers don't always make good bullet points. That's why political direct mail pieces that say anything more than, "Hi, here's who I am and what I bring to the table," should be considered skeptically. In this age of rapid information exchange, snail mail has gone by the wayside for a reason. However, in political electioneering, it holds one distinct advantage – you can't respond to one. It's a one-way conversation, usually with some company based in the DC suburbs, that allows the candidate to select the subject.

But voters have more opportunity than ever to overcome the impersonal nature of campaigning in the modern era. If someone's asking for your vote, they should be answering your questions – not their own. If you want to know their positions on things that really matter, just ask them. Their candidate information page at the Supervisor of Elections usually has an email, as does their campaign website and Facebook page, which you can find easily by Googling their name. In most cases, they'll be thrilled to talk to a voter one-on-one in such a convenient forum. Research the office they're running for. What issues does it deal with? Which are most important to you? What is their plan regarding them? If they don't have concrete answers, don't respond, or turn the question around so that they can use their preferred talking points, that should tell you all you need to know.

If it doesn't, go to their campaign finance reports, which are available when you click on their name at this link. See which companies, individuals, occupations and addresses keep coming up and ask yourself why such entities are so excited to see a particular candidate get elected. What's their vested interest in the decisions made by the board they're seeking to get elected to? If they've got tens of thousands of dollars amassed, they'll likely have a PAC as well, which is separately funded and a little harder to trace. If you get an attack ad mailer, look for the ”paid for by“ line and research them at the Florida Division of Elections campaign finace page to see who's funding them.

The modern playbook for campaigning – even on the local level – has become a sinister formula in which an entire slate of candidates financed by special interests amass an unthinkable war chest of campaign funds, hide behind PACs to bombard their opponents with negative attack ads – often completely baseless and intended to target their strengths in order to put them on the defensive. They then put up thousands of signs and carpet bomb voters with meaningless hot-buttoned position issues that may or may not reflect the reality of either candidate's position on matters that the board they're seeking doesn't even deal with anyway.

Our governments – on every level – will face historic challenges in the near term as government revenues continue to decline, while the need for infrastructure and services increases. Voters deserve a chance to make informed decisions based on facts. We'll continue to do everything in our power to provide accurate and unbiased information on candidates in our profiles, race analyses and upcoming voters' guide. But even the best news publication can't compete with wealthy PACs who don't have to be bothered with such inconveniences as the truth. That's where the you come in. You owe it to your community to put in the time, do a little leg work and cast an informed vote on August 14 and November 6.

Author's note: While the electioneering this time around has continued to disappoint, I must admit that I am once again impressed by the level of discourse regarding the Manatee School Board races, where frustrated parents and taxpayers have stepped up and taken a sincere interest in real issues rather than rhetoric. As a result, we have a full slate of serious candidates who've answered the call. This is encouraging, as it proves that the system can work well when there is sincere participation by all parties, and should be an inspiration for voters and potential candidates in other local races.