Dirty Politics

Neal White, publisher of the WDL had some thoughts on Ellis County's dirty primary season.

From Sunday's WDL:

Trying to reason with political season

Sunday, March 5, 2006 9:18 AM CST

Ellis County farmers should have a good crop this year. I’m not a farmer — it’s just a theory based on this spring’s campaign season for the Republican primary and the amount of manure that’s been tossed about during the past two months.
In fairness, that statement is an over-exaggeration and in no way is meant to negatively reflect on the candidates who have run campaigns above board with dignity for themselves, their opponents and the people they hope to represent. In fact, we are honoring a few of those candidates in today’s editorial on this page.
Sincerely, I wish we could say that about all the races.
For those in our newsroom who have spent much of the past two months sorting through all the accusations, innuendos and hyperbole to provide factual, fair and balanced news stories on this year’s campaign, we all agree this has been one of the most negative campaign seasons any of us can remember.
We are all ready for Tuesday night.
There is an old axiom they teach in journalism school about working on controversial stories, particularly stories that involve politics. The expression is told to help temper the metal of aspiring reporters while also serving as a reminder the need to be vigilant in providing thorough, fair and impartial news coverage. The axiom is: If everyone involved in the story is mad at you, then you did a good job.
If that axiom holds true then we’ve been doing a really good job on our political coverage.
For example, I received a courtesy call from a member of the Ellis County Democratic Party after one of their recent meetings. It was one of those “just so you know” calls, informing me the county’s Democrats perceived the paper as an ultra right-wing publication. The caller also said they thought I leaned so far to the right, the perception was everyone thought I was sitting on Jimmie Simmons’ lap. For those who don’t know Jimmie, he is a long-time member of the Ellis County Republican Party, known for his conservative views and published opinion columns.
I won’t get into what the politicians said about us, but if they were honest, they would all say we were fair — even if they didn’t want us to run the story.
I will share another call I received from a ranking member of the Ellis County Republican Party. It was another one of those “just so you know” calls to inform me the membership felt I was a left-wing liberal socialist. More specifically, at least one member of the party’s ultra conservative faction was going around the county telling everyone who would listen that I was a “heathen liberal Yankee.” And — it really does get better — certain members of the party, namely its hardcore conservative faction, had alleged I was part of a diabolical cabal with certain members of the “Waxahachie establishment” to run the county.
Normally, I don’t respond to comments, particularly during political season when emotions are running high and people tend to take things way to personal. However, in the interest of full disclosure, I feel the need to clear some things up.
If someone runs into members of the party’s ultra conservative faction — since they obviously aren’t talking to me — please point out to them:
1). The Civil War is over. We are all Americans now.
2). If using the term “Yankee” as a derogatory term, it is only applicable when referring to the geographical location of a person’s birthplace or where they were raised. I was born in North Carolina, raised in South Carolina — both states that left the Union and joined the Confederacy. For someone who dresses up and pretends to be a Confederate soldier on weekends, I really thought they would have known that. They can call me a lot of things, but in this case, “Yankee” isn’t one of them.
As for the diabolical cabal, I don’t know whether to be flattered that they think so highly of me, or burst into laughter over the outrageous insinuation. Honestly, if there is such an organization, I’m not on the e-mail list. Maybe it’s because the members of that alleged group are too busy volunteering their free time to non-profit organizations that are trying to build Ellis County and improve the quality of life for everyone.
Speaking only for myself, almost all of my time away from work and family is devoted to organizations that support children. I coach, I mentor, I teach, I help raise funds for projects that I believe in. I have always looked at my involvement as nothing more than reinvesting my talent and blessings back into the community. Honestly, it never crossed my mind there was anything diabolical about teaching a kid how to hit an inside fastball, or helping provide a safe place for children to go after school, or helping students develop leadership skills through my involvement with 4-H. I really could go on, but you get my point.
And just in case my patriotism comes in to question, I am a veteran. I served my country for six years in the U.S. Navy. I descend from a family with a long line of patriots that have answered our nation’s call to duty — dating back to and including the Civil War. My family never felt the need to re-open old wounds or dress up and pretend to be a soldier to re-enact a 140-year old battle in order to feel patriotic — we were there when it happened.
Again, in the interest of being thorough, fair and balanced, just wanted to make those facts known.
Sadly, the comments being made against me and the paper pale in comparison to some of the vicious, personal attacks being made against opponents in this year’s primary campaigns.
Wouldn’t it be nice if all politicians would just stick to their qualifications, their record and what they plan to do if elected? Again, speaking solely for myself, I find nothing dignified or honorable about negative campaigning. It is a shame that so many of our politicians seem to believe that is the only way they can win.

Neal White is the publisher/editor of the Waxahachie Daily Light. He may be reached by e-mail at neal.white@waxahachiedailylight.com.