In election season, there's always complaints about dirty campaign tactics, like missing lawn signs or rumor spreading. We've already seen some questionable behavior from the Democratic Club of Claremont in this election.
But the flier fiasco at the League of Women Voters Candidates Forum on Thursday night just might take the cake on dirty campaign tactics. For those who haven't seen Saturday's paper, here's a basic rundown of what happened.
Candidate Robin Haulman's husband, Alexander Sweida, grabbed a stack of candidate Jay Pocock's campaign fliers during the forum and stuffed them in his jacket pocket. After the event ended, Sweida was talking to Betty Crocker, who works on Opanyi Nasiali's campaign, when the fliers fell out of his jacket and scattered across the floor. Sweida picked them up and walked away, later dumping them in the trash.
Sweida told me the fliers unfairly attacked his wife since it states "Haulman and Lyons support tax increases. [DO YOU?]" According to Sweida, Haulman supports putting the question of a utility tax increase, a recommendation of the Economic Sustainability Committee, before the voters.
Further defending his actions, Sweida said he was just following the League of Women Voter's policy on negative campaign material. He asked Ellen Taylor, president of Claremont's chapter of the League, if he could remove the fliers. Taylor told him to go ahead, even though she didn't inspect the material beforehand to see if it actually contained "negative" information.
This incident is troubling from many perspectives. With his actions, Sweida has certainly embarrassed his wife and may have cost her the election. Dirty tactics like this just don't sit well with voters.
Taylor defended her decision by saying the League is anti-biased in local elections. However by approving this behavior, she showed a clear bias against Pocock. And that reflects poorly on the entire organization.
And what do other League officials think about what happened?
"It would be better to actually look at the material before making a decision on what to do with it," said Jack Mills, Vice President of the League.
I asked Mills if he was aware of any League policy about negative campaign material. He said he wasn't aware of one, although he's only been on the board for one year.
"The only policies I know of are in the members handbook and on the website," Mills said. "I'm pretty sure the handbook doesn't have a policy on negative campaign material."
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You know picking up someone's flyers and tossing them is not nice but this article is also a tactic..... come on read between the lines who is being hurt and who is being helped by the public announcement that someone's husband grabbed some flyers and threw them away.... It would be different if she did it... the true dirty politician is the one that called the reporter to get the story published. I want to read stories that really matter... like what the politicians are up to and their work ethics....
ReplyDeleteIsn't every piece of political propaganda negative to someone somewhere? If Sweida really thought he was entitled to take flyers based upon "negative", albeit truthful information, why didn't he take the entire stack?
ReplyDelete"Dirty politician?" I heard the woman who witnessed this doesn't work for the Pocock campaign. This story tells you exactly what the politicians are up to. If her husband would do this, what would stop her from saying/doing anything to get elected. I can't believe Ellen Taylor said it was okay. She didn't even look at the flyer!
ReplyDeleteRe: Kittas comment. Hey, the ethics of the day are "See something, say something". I don't fault the person who called the reporter. She didn't make the news, she just reported it. And it wasn't just "someone's" husband; it was candidate Robin Haulman's husband.
ReplyDeleteI second this:" You know picking up someone's flyers and tossing them is not nice but this article is also a tactic..... come on read between the lines who is being hurt and who is being helped by the public announcement that someone's husband grabbed some flyers and threw them away.... It would be different if she did it... the true dirty politician is the one that called the reporter to get the story published."
ReplyDeleteThe flyer contained more than the article stated, and it was inflammatory, and did violate the rules of the league. What I find to be most disturbing, is the focus on the removal of the inappropriate flyers, but not the fact that the candidate attempted to violate the rules, and use ill-begotten tactics with these flyers, in the first place.
I think it is admirable that Mr. Sweida stood up for his wife. My husband would have done the same for me.