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Beware the politics of deceit ‘Tis the season. It seems it’s the best of times and the worst of time every couple of years leading up to the time when residents are called on to go to the polls and cast their votes in local elections. Residents casting their votes ensures the continuation of the representative democracy that forms the method of governance adopted by this nation more than 200 years ago. Unfortunately, the majority of citizens rarely ever bother casting a vote. For their part, and being largely forthright and honest, most candidates vying for votes usually get their names, faces and messages to voters through a variety of conventional methods. But there is another side to the local political process, where all too often some of those in power, and some who aspire to be, use increasingly-inventive and deceitful ways to win elections. To those of you who do not get involved with local issues or take the time to discover how some campaigns are run, what you are about to read may seem like fiction. But it is not. While often treated with dignity and respect for the office, some candidates or their representative and advocates have a way of stooping to the depths of deceit and criminality in the weeks leading to an election. The most customary and time-honored way of attempting to sabotage an opponent is by removing, I mean stealing, the signs or other advertisements of a rival. This goes on much more than the average citizen might realize. Occasionally, a campaign sign that has mysteriously vanished is often replaced in the same location by one denoting a rival candidate (nobody said all candidates were smart). Theft of property is a crime. Not all candidates do it or sanction it, and none will ever admit doing it, but it does beg a serious question. If a candidate would sanction an unlawful activity by their supporters, is this a person you would like representing you for the next four years? Another thing that happens occasionally in some places are the scare tactics used to “help” convince residents, and more often business owners, not to put signs endorsing a candidate on their property. “You know, it just wouldn’t be the best thing for the city to have someone unexperienced on the council,” the covertly-threatening saying goes. It reminds me of the annexations last year, where representatives and employees of some south Fulton cities tried to scare residents into annexing, even at public meetings. On some of those occasions it went like, “Well, you know if you don’t annex into (my city) you’ll end up in the new city and you may not have any fire or police protection.” Isn’t it amazing how many lies and crimes are committed just to retain power? The trouble is that no resident or business owner is willing to say on the record that they’ve been coerced or threatened. The reason is simple. Fear of some type of retribution. Is this the kind of “leader” you want to represent you for the next four years? And then there are the personal attacks by candidates or their cronies, whether incumbents or challengers. It doesn’t matter if it’s a lie, just keep telling it. And whether in person or in candidate forums, keep telling people what you want them to hear, whether it’s the truth or not sometimes seems to matter little. And, by all means, make the lie or the half-truth one where people’s emotions can be fueled. For those candidates who openly misstate or even lie, they have only to rely on an electorate who is easily swayed by emotion and uninformed on the issues. Truly, many candidates avoid engaging in demeaning and illegal or unethical behavior. They are the ones who should be elected. But the problem is that sometimes the wrong people are elected, selling their soul for money and power and selling out the citizens in the process. Candidates who play by the rules will always make better elected officials. And informed citizens always make it their business to find the facts and avoid the politics of deceit. login to post comments | Ben Nelms's blog
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