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| Whacked-out "logic"from the online hate squad (s): "If our preferred candidate and the candidate we despise each take campaign money from the same donor(s)--only the candidate we HATE is corrupt for taking the contributions----------our guy is great and honorable! |
The issue of local candidate finance always seems to come up about this time of year during election periods as candidates head into the home stretch of campaign season.
Last Sunday in the PNJ, a big part of their hit on the three commissioners running for re-election was the fact that we all accept campaign checks from the same benevolent community and business leaders locally.
Online, certain facebook chat/opinion/entertainment groups like Escambia Citizens Watch (AKA the hate-club, echo chamber) love to take shots at "certain" candidates (I'm a frequent target) for the "who" it is that writes their campaign checks.
The all-too-frequent trope is that candidates who amass a big war chest (like the one I have cultivated in this election cycle) are corrupt, on the take, bought and paid for, good old boys, etc. etc. It is all just a big hate-festival of ad hominem attacks reverberating through the online padded-cell of insanity. It is comical---yet also hypocritical.
Here's why:
1.) The PNJ and these opinion/entertainment chat sites never chastise "their" guy or gal candidate for who it is that writes campaign checks to their particular campaigns. No, no, no--their whacked out "logic" goes a little something like this: "Our guys and the money they raise from our 'approved' donors are just fine---it is ONLY our enemies and the contributors to the candidates we don't like that are corrupt!" Problem is, many (if not most) local candidates get money from the same pool of benevolent donors who actually are engaged in the political process and write checks. Business owners, engineers, architects, builders, lawyers, developers and some others---these folks typically write checks for multiple candidates---and this allows those of us who are not independently wealthy the opportunity to run. Would the PNJ and online hate sites want ONLY rich people running for office, rich and primarily white people?
Same thing with PACs: "Business leaders we like create and fund PACs---Hooraay--great men!!!"
"Business leaders we dislike create and fund PACs----Booooo..Corruption!!"
Often the "darling" candidates of the online hate club society and the PNJ have actually taken PAC money or straight-up campaign checks from the same guys that give money to the candidates these social sites and the PNJ HATE!!........but somehow this is alright because it is "their" guy--so no matter who gives to THEIR guy--it is OK!
2.)They next complain about a candidate taking money from interests "outside" of their home district they represent. Listen, that argument is just stupid and ridiculous. Here's why: although
