Area election tactics sunk to new lows

Election 2003 is gone, and we won’t miss it. The 11th-hour push of mailings and radio and television spots before Nov. 4 in the Monmouth and Ocean County area was overwhelming. Not surprisingly, the slew of catch phrases and cheap slogans usually oozed negativity.

Consider some of the campaign stories and incidents we were treated to in the last few weeks. One of the big trends in so many towns this year was for candidates to file frivolous lawsuits against each other or their towns in the days before the election to grab headlines. Others sent out mailings –– always anonymous –– accusing candidates of past drug arrests or other criminal activities without any substantiation. You really have to question the true motivations of anyone who would stoop to these levels just to become a humble "public servant."

Easily the most despicable act of this year’s election was the anonymous mailing of a flier –– with Osama bin Laden’s face on it –– which implied that voters would be playing into the terrorist’s hands by not showing up at the polls Nov. 4. What a disgrace.

It’s always in vogue for politicians, celebrities and newspapers to cheerfully encourage residents to exercise their right to vote, but let’s get something straight: the right not to vote is an important one, too. Voter apathy can make a valuable statement of its own about democracy, namely, that people are sick and tired of the deplorable political machines that would actually circulate this kind of trash.

And as a final point, we’d like to remind the bonehead who sent that flier out that in Iraq, where voting was mandatory last year, Saddam Hussein wound up with 99.9 percent of the popular vote.

Our hats are off to the eight Township Council candidates in Brick, who campaigned aggressively, but civilly. With the exception of one blowup at the Oct. 7 council meeting, they reserved their criticisms for each other’s records and opinions to actual issues. They treated the town to a race of ideas, and made us feel like the election mattered. It’s too bad that anyone had to lose.