Candidates need to run a clean campaign
By:
Shandra Jordan
Colleen Buhrer
Kyle Endres
Jason Kosena
Willow Welter
Christopher J. Ortiz
Patrick Crossland
Last week’s headlines included Democrats questioning President
Bush’s service in the Texas Air National Guard while Republicans
run smear ads about John Kerry’s anti-war action after the Vietnam
War.
Instead of focusing on current and relevant issues, the two
camps have been busybodies trying to tarnish the character of the
opposite candidate.
Our neck of the woods has seen the results of negative ads. Stan
Matsunaka, who ran and lost the 4th Congressional District seat
back in 2002, left a career of politics behind in part because of
how personal and hurtful the negative ads had become.
We feel personality and character are important in political
races but there needs to be a balance between character and issues.
What relevance is there in Bush’s or Kerry’s actions 25 years ago?
Whose life does it affect whether or not Bush was MIA during his
service or that Kerry was protesting a war. What matters is issues
like the economy and problems in Iraq.
Instead of character attacks, the two camps should focus on
issues relating to the campaign. There is a hotbed of issues that
merit attention; foreign policy, the failing economy, gay rights.
Instead we have to read through mudslinging stories about Kerry and
Bush.
The candidates’ camps need to focus on their own issues and
agendas rather than everyone else’s.
But obviously negative ads work or politicians would find
another scheme to get voters’ attention. We only wish people would
pay attention to the issues on hand that affect our lives and
yours.
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