There is a widespread and insidious voter fraud being perpetrated in Delaware this election. The national and local media attention may be directed at purging of legitimate voters from the rolls or alleged ACORN registration fraud but it has failed to scrutinize fraud that is practiced at the expense of the individual voter here in our state. It is fraud cloaked in the guise of “push-polls” and false, misleading and out-of-context lit pieces mailed to voters. These manipulations of reality are intended to disrupt and distract the average voter’s ability to make an objective selection or decision that is in their best interest.
Negative campaigning has arrived in force to Delaware. I used to reflect on how fortunate I felt that I wasn’t involved in the negativity and bitterness of New Jersey politics. I am proud to campaign on the issues in Delaware but I fear that some would prefer that we join the mass hysteria of negativity. The most worrisome aspect is that it has become an acceptable alternative to those who have no ideas about or solutions to the critical issues that face Delawareans.
In addition to two recently conducted negative phone push-polls, a mailing to the voters of my 25th District filled with out of context misrepresentations of my record was proudly advertised as “paid for by the House Republican Campaign Committee”. I find this particularly offensive since this committee is the Republican House Caucus that engaged in and witnessed the actual debates and proposals in Dover yet chooses to deliberately misrepresent and falsify the reality of my record. When they can reference an honorable man whose integrity is beyond reproach such as John Flaherty and couch it in the terms of an unnamed “lobbyist” they have stooped to new lows.
This practice is not isolated to my race but in fact has become the norm for the Delaware Republican party in a number of races across the state. It is not about me as much as it is about a betrayal of the public trust. This unconscionable and aberrant behavior is abusive to the voters and attempts to abridge the rights of the voters to be able to make an unbiased, unfiltered and untainted decision as to whom they wish to represent them. This is voter fraud at its worst, subtle hints and hidden context mapping a direction that is opposite of the truth.
Meeting the voters individually and face-to-face is certainly an arduous and time-consuming task but well worth the effort when the reward is a smile of appreciation and a sincere thank you. To suggest to those very same people that the opposition is less than concerned with their problems or misrepresenting the opposition record insults the peoples’ intelligence and is inexcusable behavior. It is time for Delaware voters to take a stand and demand that there be no more negative campaigning. They can accomplish this at the polls on November 4th by dealing a decisive defeat to those that would employ such tactics.