Negative Politics Goes Local

Dirty politics is often considered something that only happens in Washington, not in the more genteel local races where voters believe that the worst that can happen is some arguing involving creative math about local tax claims.  Well, that belief has been definitively flushed in Hillsborough.

 

Township Committee Republican candidates Tomson and McCauley should be embarrassed by the disgraceful negative political mailer that went out this past week with their names on it.  Showcasing the worst of dirty politics, it used cut-and-paste "quotes",  innuendo and serious personal false allegations to attack their opponents Ms. Le and Mr. Beggiato.   

 

Tomson and McCauley should personally and publically apologize to Ms. Le and particularly Mr.. Beggiato and their families.  Next they should apologize to any of their supporters who have the grace to be ashamed to be associated with this garbage.  They should have the courage to stand up to the members of their Republican election committee who did this and tell them that this is not right.

 Hillsborough’s voters can hope that Mr. Tomson and Ms. McCauley understand that this was wrong. If they consider this moral and right, if they consider this politics as usual, if they don’t do whatever they can to correct it, then we are all in trouble.

One can hope that this mailer backfires.  That the residents of Hillsborough prove they possess a higher moral character and more intelligence than Tomson and McCauley think they do.  That voters realize that this was character assassination that has gone beyond the pale. 

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It has occurred to the HNJJ crew that members of Hillsborough’s Republican Organization may be afraid to stand up for what they know to be wrong .  Maybe they fear that they will be the next target.  Maybe this has to do with monetary support or hoped-for political appointments.  Maybe there is an old-fashioned shunning that takes place.  All of the members of the HNJJ crew are so glad they are unaffiliated. - SG