FAIR AND BIASED

Friday, October 15, 2010

WHY HAVE THE DEMOCRATS

GONE NEGATIVE?

by Steve Fair

This week Steve Burrage, the Antlers banker appointed to fill an unexpired term as State Auditor, began running an ‘attack’ ad against his opponent Gary Jones. In the TV spot, Burrage is NEVER mentioned- only his opponent. The ads are a clear 'hacket' job and should make The Oklahoman blush after their endorsement of Burrage because in their words 'he was a known quantity.' If The Oklahoman has any integrity, they will condemn Burrage's ads and retract their recommendation.

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Kenneth Corn, a termed out State Senator who has never held a real job, is running ‘attack’ ads against Todd Lamb, his opponent. The latest numbers has Lamb leading by double digits and this may be Corn's HAIL MARY pass. It's gonna be tough on Corny when he has to get a real job!

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Brett Burns, incumbent DA for District #6, has come out swinging against his Republican opponent Jason Hicks. He ran an ‘attack’ ad in the Chickasha paper. Burns' ad has a half page full of criminal mug shots- people who he has supposedly put in the pokey. The ad attacks Hicks for his so-called 'lack of experience.' The real question is not who Burns has prosecuted, it's who he hasn't. People tell me there have been a number of embezzlers that Burns has not prosecuted. Burns appears to be too cozy with DEFENSE attorneys- particularly those outside the district and gives their clients flavorable treatment over the average Joe. One law enforcement official told me he was sick of Burns selective prosecution. Hicks, a Duncan Republican, is clearly the front runner in the two largest counties in the district.

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What is up with these Democrats going negative?

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Negative campaigning is nothing new- it’s been around since the founding of the republic. John Quincy Adams went ‘negative’ in the 1828 presidential election against Andrew Jackson. If Adams were alive today and the same things said, charges would be filed. Check out the original 'Coffin Handbills' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffin_Handbills

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Negative campaigning, also known as “mudslinging", is trying to win an advantage by referring to negative aspects of an opponent or of a policy rather than emphasizing one's own positive attributes or preferred policies. Does mudslinging work? Some say it only works when you are ahead, when you are behind or when you are even. In other words, it works all the time. Some contend that while the voting public say they despise the mudslinging commercials, they secretly love them. But who is influenced by negative ads?

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According to a 1995 study by Stephen Ansolabehere and Shato Ivengar negative ads have a greater impact on Democrats than on Republicans. The study showed that base Republicans will vote no matter what (and will vote only for a Republican), but Democrats can be influenced to either stay home and not vote at all or to switch sides and vote for a Republican. This led them to conclude that Republicans benefit more from going negative than Democrats. Ansolabehere and Ivengar also said that negative campaigning suppressed voter turnout among independents. They also conclude that mudslinging works most effectively with uninformed or under informed voters.

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So when should a campaign go negative? Cathy Allen, president of Campaign Connection of Seattle, suggested negative campaigning might be the 'proper course' during political contests in the following situations:

when taking on an incumbent;
when being significantly outspent;
when there is irrefutable information that the opponent has done something wrong;
when the candidate has little name recognition

IN OTHER WORDS- WHEN A CANDIDATE IS LOSING!

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The latest Sooner Poll numbers show Burrage and Corn both trailing their opponents. http://soonerpoll.com/poll-finds-republicans-poised-to-sweep-oklahoma%e2%80%99s-november-election/

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That explains why Oklahoma Democrat candidates are going negative. THEY ARE LOSING, but it’s not likely their tactics will work this election cycle. Oklahoma voters are engaged and motivated. They want to know where the candidates stand on the issues and negative ads turn off informed voters.

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Ed Rollins, former Reagan advisor, wrote an insightful column on why Democrats are going negative nationally. You can read the column at http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/10/06/rollins.democrats.negative/index.html?eref=rss_latest&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29

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Why FAIR & BIASED?

FAIR- because that's my name and BIASED because the truth is we are all biased- either for something or against it. What's important is that our bias(opinions) are based on right- on absolute truth and not on changing values. What's right cannot change based on a change in circumstances. That is the basis for situational ethics.

Situation Ethics is a theory that is concerned with the outcome or consequences of an action; the end, as opposed to an action being intrinsically wrong. In the case of situation ethics, the end can justify the means. There are no absolutes. Your actions are guided only by your conscience.

A person's view of right can be subjective. But there is a way mankind can definitely know what's right and that is revealed in God's Word- the Bible. As His creatures, we should be biased toward things our Creator is for and biased against those things He is against. May God grant us the grace and understanding to know the difference.

PARTY AFFILIATION IS IMPORTANT! by Steve Fair- written in 2009

How important is political party affiliation? Some people mistakenly believe only politicians need political affiliation, which they use for support to get elected. They contend the electorate or voters, do not need to be aligned with any Party. These same people often state they “support the man, not the Party.” But whether they recognize it or not, they are supporting a party when they “support the man.”
Most of the Founding Fathers had a negative view of political parties. In his farewell address to the nation, George Washington warned about political parties saying, “However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.” In spite of Washington's warning, political parties were formed anyway.
From 1796 to 1828 the first political parties were formed. Starting with the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, two opposing factions arose. Each was concerned with how the new government was to be organized. The Federalists believed in a strong central government. Their philosophy and beliefs would closely mirror the Democrat Party today. The Anti-Federalists strongly supported the rights of the states. They would more closely align with Republicans today.
Since the mid 1800s, the Ds and Rs have been the two major political parties in our country. Political parties flourished in our government mainly for legislative organization and expediencies sake. Why is Party affiliation important for the average voter? Party affiliation is important for three very simples reasons.
First, party affiliation is the first vote a citizen casts. When a citizen registers as a Democrat, then they are aligning philosophically with the values, beliefs, tenets, and positions of the Democrats on the issues. Party affiliation “defines” you are and what you stand for. It should be taken as seriously as a vote for a specific candidate. Research what each Party stands for, their positions on issues, and then align with the Party that is closest to your values. Copies of both major Party platforms are available on-line or at the local library.
Second, legislatures organize themselves and conduct business using party affiliation. The legislative branch of government is the most powerful arm of the three branches of government. Legislative bodies hold closed meeting of party members, called a caucus to decide on questions of policy or leadership. The Republicans hold a caucus meeting and the Democrats hold a caucus meeting-both at the state and federal level. Unfortunately, conservative, moderate and liberal philosophies do not hold caucus meetings or control the legislative agendas- parties do. When someone says they vote for “the man,” not the party, they fail to understand the power and function of a caucus system in a legislative body. The Party in the majority controls appointments, Chairmanships, the agenda and countless other things through the caucus.
Third, party affiliation should be a matter of conviction, not convenience. Often, people align with a party so they can vote in primary elections or based on family tradition or geographies. Even candidates will align, file and run affiliated with a Party they have little philosophical agreement with. That decision is made out of convenience, not conviction. While no political party is perfect or has all the answers, there is a distinct difference between the two major parties and honest citizens should align with the Party that reflects their convictions.
The Democrat Party is more liberal than the Republican Party. Liberals believe in more government control of business, the environment and speech, using large bureaucratic programs to address real or perceived social ills and constant reinterpretation of the Constitution. Liberals are more inclined to trust government than the people themselves. They see the role of government as a great provider of goods and services and have little faith in the individual to solve his own problems.
Republicans are more conservative than Democrats. Conservatives believe in less government control of the environment and business. They want fewer and less comprehensive government programs to address real or perceived social ills. They believe in personal responsibility and trust individuals to make decisions for themselves. Republicans believe in a strict literal interpretation of the Constitution. A person should find out which of these philosophies best fits their view if they wish to actively participate in the political process.
Party affiliation is important. Washington’s prophecy has come to past, and political parties have been used to empower “unprincipled men,” on both sides of the aisle, but like it or not, political parties are a reality in our system of government. Each concerned citizen should evaluate the philosophy, values, beliefs and tenets of each Party and align their party affiliation accordingly.

FAIR AND BIASED

Friday, October 15, 2010

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PARTY AFFILIATION IS IMPORTANT! by Steve Fair- written in 2009

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