Until the last couple of weeks, the Buttner vs. Norton race for Circuit Court Judge seemed like a tame contest between two well qualified candidates. Buttner had a bit more practical experience, but Norton had some of the higher powered endorsements.
In truth, I honestly wasn’t sure who I would vote for. But then the Buttner campaign turned negative in a big way. I first noticed it in a very subtle way with a television ad in which Buttner’s wife talks about how he’s a “family man” and that means he makes “real-world decisions.” It felt like they were going out of their way to highlight the fact that Ms. Norton is unmarried, as if that were somehow relevant.
But I guess that wasn’t enough to move the polls, because they’ve now resorted to a barrage of negative attack advertising on television as well as a last minute smear campaign via email. I won’t go into the blow-by-blow details of these emails as you can read almost all of them over on JaxOutLoud.
Unfortunately, dirty tricks and mudslinging are to be expected in most campaigns. But I think we should demand better judgement from a judicial candidate’s campaign. These smears are beneath Rick Buttner and may even violate election laws because they lack the appropriate campaign disclaimers.
Frankly, Stephen and I discussed the idea of doing candidate endorsements this year, but we decided it was more prudent to try to interview some of the candidates and then let folks make up their own minds. However, I am making an exception tonight. And I’m speaking up on the eve of the election, because I think it’s important for people to take a second look at who they’re voting for before heading out to the polls tomorrow.
It comes down to a choice between two qualified candidates - one who will resort to last minute smears and negative attacks, and one who has run a largely clean and positive campaign. Both qualified, but only one with the character needed.
In my opinion, Virginia Norton is the better choice for Circuit Court Judge and she deserves your vote on Tuesday.
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