Choose wisely

4 Comments

1. 

   Terri Buckner

    /  November 5, 2012

   There are a number of local races that matter. First and foremost in my mind (besides the transit issue) is the race for the North Carolina Supreme Court seat between Sam Ervin (registered Democrat) and Paul Newby (registered Republican). Judges are supposed to be non-partisan and are eligible for campaign financing. But this race is using private financing and money from outside of NC is pouring in for Paul Newby. We have to stand up and say that money doesn’t buy elections in North Carolina (preferably for the United States). Say NO to Newby and partisanship in our judicial system.

2. 

   JWJ

    /  November 5, 2012

   Ms. Buckner:

   Definitely agree with your point on local / state races that matter. But your reasoning on being pro-Ervin confuses me (sorry for not getting the logic).

   Your post implies (if I read it correctly) that money from outside NC is not being spent on the Ervin campaign. Cause a 90-second search turned up that a 527 org called Common Sense Matters is donor to Ervin, and the left to far-left Washington D.C. based lobbying organization, NEA Advocacy, donated $20,000 to Common Sense Matters. That is partisan money coming from outside NC going to Ervin.

   So if money from outside NC is bad and a reason not to vote for someone, then shouldn’t people not vote for Ervin cause of the outside NC money being spent on Ervin’s campaign?

   Or is it because (I think anyway based on some quick research) more PAC money is being spent on Newby (I think the money being spent directly from each campaign is relatively equal)? If the amount of money is the primary case, are you advocating that whichever candidate either spends the most or has the most outside the state money should lose state-wide elections?

   Or are their partisan reasons for voting Ervin? Other than you being in favor Ervin, I’m not understanding how the money reason (as I attempt to understand it) could be applied consistently.

3. 

   phsledge

    /  November 5, 2012

   In the 2008 race the zip code 27514 donated more money to the Nat’l Democratic Party than any other in the county. Bet that is not the case now. Just saying.

4. 

   Terri Buckner

    /  November 6, 2012

   JWJ–so I did the 5 minute google search as you suggested and what I found was Common Sense Matters, a liberal special interest group, spending money to support Ervin, after Justice for All NC, a conservative special interest group with corporate ties, began running attack ads against Ervin. I hate the “he started it” excuse, but in the case of our elections, if the attackee doesn’t fight back with similar tactics, he loses. So the winner is reinforced for bad behavior.

   Whether the attackee fights back or takes the moral high ground and chooses not the use similarly unsavory tactics, it’s the democracy that loses.

   Corporations should not be treated as people; money should not be the basis for democracy. Citizens should not just shrug and say there’s nothing we can do about it.