Monday, November 2nd, 2009...12:48 pm
Desperation, It Hangs in the Wind
I realize I am not exactly the model of a “swing” voter, but I often recieve Republican pieces, especially in those races where a Republican candidate needs as many Democratic votes as they can scrape up. At this point in 2005 and 2007, I had been innundated with pieces from Republican candidates and the various committees supporting them.
This time, nothing. Nothing until Friday, when I recieved a piece slamming Richard Fimbres. Then Saturday, two more pieces making much the same charges as the first. Well, one of the pieces extolled the dubious virtues of the candidate that sent it on one side, while making the same ill-founded attacks on the other. These pieces were 8 1/2 by 11, so I have recieved six “pages” of information from the Republicans, only one of which gives me any positive information on a single candidate, the rest are an unfounded smear on an otherwise dedicated and valued member of our community.
The charge is based on a politically motivated letter that a state employee sent Fimbres in an attempt to set up this attack. Part of the charge is that Fimbres never responded to the letter, when in fact he did. I had a whole post written with a response to this attack, but it doesn’t seem worth the time. The fact is, the guy making this attack shows as much care for the facts as he does in making sure he votes in city elections.
Add to this that this same candidate had just last week whined about attacks against him (attacks that were based on his stated position on Proposition 200), and now sends out a last minute barrage that stops just short of accusing his opponent of a felony. It is no wonder that the woman he defeated in the Republican primary pointedly said that she would not be supporting him because of his campaign tactics.
I’ve known Richard Fimbres for nearly two decades and have known him to be nothing but an honorable man and a person dedicated to this community. He’s been a strong voice for education and the safety of our neighborhoods as well as a passionate advocate for the needs of South Siders and the broader Latino community. This runs in stark contrast to a put-up candidate recruited by a party so desperate that they had to find a candidate by robo call, a candidate who couldn’t be bothered with the most basic level of civic engagement. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that this is the sort of thing that he resorts to.
8 Comments
November 2nd, 2009 at 1:36 pm
I received the same mailings on the same days. I thought it interesting that Fimbres’ opponent did not identify himself as a Republican or Fimbres as a Democrat on any of the mailings..
November 2nd, 2009 at 2:20 pm
PEVL, Ted. PEVL.
Once a voter has already voted last minute smear attacks are just a waste of money for postage.
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:02 pm
After the piece the Democratic Party mailed out trying to tie all the Republican Candidates to Governor Brewer I’m very surprised you had the audacity to mention this at all.
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Hmm…so being tied to Governor Brewer is the same as being accused of a felony? Walt, you want the Dems quoting that one in a piece next year?
November 2nd, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Gee Walt, Shaun’s mailers were about untrue and unsubstantiated items refuted even by members of your own party!
Shameless Shaun still mailed it out despite being proven otherwise.
It is issues over innuendo Walt for which the voters will see through the elephantine lies!!!
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Not that it’s at all becoming to discuss how one votes…but…I voted for Fimbres. We need as many strong voices for education as we can get. And our community seems to be at risk of being overtaken by those with lackluster integrity. I’m sort of tired of those who “cling” to their moral fortitude and pronounce it as being superior to all others, while playing a reckless game with the reputation of those who have made meaningful contributions to our community. It’s beneath them. It’s beneath our community. We deserve better.
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:32 pm
AZMama:
I voted for
The magic words. Once a vote is in the bank there is nothing that last minute attacks can do.
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Well, I for one wanna know more about the details of this whole politically-motivated-state-employee-sends-smear-letter-non-scandal, but perhaps it might be easier for all involved to delve in after the election. Yes on Fimbres and No on 200!