Longtime political observers have compared this year's Republican governor battle to the 1992 race, in which three statewide officeholders, Attorney General Bill Webster, Secretary of State Roy Blunt, and State Treasurer Wendell Bailey fought for the GOP nomination.
And I must admit, the attacks launched by State Treasurer Sarah Steelman against Kenny Hulshof have shown some similarity to those leveled by Blunt against frontrunner Webster 16 years ago.
Roy Blunt's effective merry-go-round ad gave the accurate impression that Webster was using the state's Second Injury Fund to reward campaign contributors. The advertisement was decried as "dirty politics" at the time, but Blunt was pointing out an ongoing problem with Webster's ethics, ethics which eventually led to Webster's crushing defeat by Mel Carnahan in November 1992, and to his later term in a federal penitentiary. Blunt's attacks were aimed at ongoing Webster issues. Blunt did not reach nearly two decades into the past to find dirt on his opponent.
That is the problem with some of the material on a new website set up by Sarah Steelman to attack Kenny Hulshof. In tactics reminiscent of the Bush campaign's Willie Horton ads against Michael Dukakis 20 years ago, a video on the Steelman website blames Hulshof for allowing a rapist/killer to be walking the streets, due to actions Hulshof took or failed to take 16 years ago.
The connection is weak. I have no problem with Mrs. Steelman blasting Hulshof on his votes on earmarks or for any part of his Washington record, but this is over the top and cheapens both the race and the candidate.
2 comments:
Wow...I never thought I would agree with you on anything, Randy. Steelman has done nothing in this campaign to set her apart as a leader...only someone that can pick and choose from a lengthy career to try to bring a negative image of her opponent. Maybe if her campaign strategists spent half as much time coming up with new ideas to better the state as they do finding ways to distort Hulshof's record Steelman wouldn't be seen as such a negative person.
The only issues being talked about in this campaign are issues that Sarah has brought up. Illegal immigration, ethanol, tax-reform, and politicians moon-lighting as consultants. Those are all Sarah's issues. Kenny is running on his record as a prosecutor, calling himself a "death-penalty prosecutor" and he has a record that is only 50% on keeping those convictions upheld. I think his competancy as a prosecutor is a very relevant issue. The only thing he has said is "I've had many titles and a good record in Congress, and the republican party said it's my turn so stop beating up on my record Sarah."
Mr. Hulshoff grow up, we are all adults and we deserve to know what our Congressmen and women are doing with our tax-dollars.
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