Candidates: If You Are Going to Go Negative, at Least Own Up to It

Why should anyone respect your office if you won’t own up to accusations posted by your allies?

We’ve heard it before: Negative campaigning is bad. It turns off voters from voting. It’s not honorable. It is intellectually stupid.

The SunPost won’t be that naïve. For those who aspire to power, politics are a substitute for outright violence. Candidates and their backers put a lot on the line in an election. And for some of these individuals, victory is all that matters. For them, the time to be gracious comes after a race —when they’ve won or lost — not during.

So, candidates running for political office: Embrace the beast and go nuts. Attack your foes on their stances on issues, on their political affiliations, on their past history and maybe even on anyone who shares your foe’s last name. Have a ball. All the SunPost asks from here on out is that you claim ownership to it and not hide behind electioneering communications organizations.

ECOs are an interesting creation — in this state ECOs are a loophole that allows shadowy third party organizations to attack candidates based on “issues”—and those issues can range from missing a vote on Israel to interpreting an old lawsuit filed against a candidate. The best thing about ECOs: They are not allowed to say “vote for” or “vote against” a candidate. This allows candidates to take a swing at their enemies without ever owning up to their attacks.

In the days prior to this Nov. 7 election, the airwaves and the mailboxes of voters were infested with ECO shrapnel revealing that most politicians running in this state are basically cowards. They have no problem taking credit for political advertising on a mailer that shows off a candidate’s family and proclaims his or her commitment to senior citizens and other happy, feel-good measures. But fliers and mailers that accuse candidates of being communists, deporters of small children, extortionists, clones of questionable politicians, etc. — in other words, the more original political ads — those pieces are paid for by a shadowy ECO.

Ask yourself this, politicians: Why should anyone respect your office if you won’t own up to accusations posted by your allies? Do you really expect us to believe that you are this perfect, ethical being who never acts in anger against your opponents? Do you think we are that stupid? You want to win. You see something you can attack your opponent on. And, after some thought, you decide to use it. Fine. Leaders have to make choices and you made one. But then don’t go hiding behind some purported ECO with a ridiculous sounding name when the mailers go out and the TV ads roll. Take credit for it.

Don’t want to be beaten about the hands and face for being a negative campaigner? Then avoid going negative, be a nice person and stick to your issues and qualifications.

For the vast majority of local races in the Nov. 7, this editorial obviously comes too late. But most municipalities in Miami-Dade County require a 50 percent majority to win outright.

In all likelihood the races for Miami and Miami Beach will be decided in a run-off. That gives an opportunity for the final two candidates in both races to do the following: Either disavow negative campaigning completely or stand behind your words.