Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Bruce Haney and Dave Cox: The Trinity County Sheriff's Race Saga Continues

When you grow up in a small town, you usually understand pretty early on how small town politics and the small town gossip mill works. The scrutiny can be especially intense on children when a parent is in a position, or a potential position, of power.

As the daughter of a high school superintendent I saw this first hand and as I have watched this year's sheriff election unfold I can't help but sympathize with one of the candidates children.

In national politics even the paparazzi have seemed to have some sort of standards about the children of candidates and public officials. Sasha and Malia. Jenna and Barbara. Chelsea. They were off limits.

In a small town it doesn't work that way. Grown men and women see nothing wrong with slandering a young teenage girl that they've all watched grow up. The gossip mill is an easy way to spread "information" (or misinformation) about a candidate and try to turn public opinion in your favor (especially when your as desperate as these guys are!).

I've struggled these past few weeks with my view on Mud-Slinging. The Haney campaign has made it clear that they're running a clean campaign, on the merits of Bruce Haney and that they don't need to air the dirty laundry of the opposition in order to win (and from what I've heard in town, staying above the fray is working VERY well for them).

On the other hand, it's very hard to resist the temptation to write a long rant here about all the deeply disturbing things that have been going on in our beautiful little town. I personally know people who have been screamed at by the opposition candidate, for posting a Haney sign in their window or yard. Some have been so terrified that they've taken all of their signs down. Others are more determined than ever to show their support for the best man for the job. And then there are the stories of treatment that not just one, or two, but of many that have come forward to tell of their "treatment" by Mr. MudSlinger himself (and we're talking about stories by regular, hardworking people, who were never charged with any crime!).

But I digress. Bruce doesn't need any of us to sling the other candidates own dark truths back at him. He will win because he is the best man for the job and the vast majority of the people in this town know it (I'm predicting he takes 2/3 of the votes from talking to people in town!).

With all the mudslinging that has gone on, I have a feeling that Dave Cox is his own worst enemy. He might have had a chance if he'd realized before he began campaigning that bullying people doesn't usually equate to votes when the curtain closes on the voting booth.

14 comments:

  1. Politics are dirty business, sadly. Here in Alabama, the powerful state teachers' union skirted disclosure laws (to the tune of $700,000 in attack ads) and were single-handedly responsible for defeating a gubernatorial candidate who would have made cleaning up the corruption in the state a priority.

    Stooping to slandering children is pretty low; I smell a lawsuit there.

    ReplyDelete
  2. maybe if his daughter wouldnt talked bad about weaverville and their school system this would have never been said. you would think she'd at least play nice while her dad is running for sherrif. stalking voters, blocking their vehicles at work to take pics of their car to post on the internet i believe is worth a law suit too. i was undecided about voting...and honestly i dont want to vote at all anymore.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Seriously Anonymous? You're unbelievable!

    Having worked at THS I can say that the experience and treatment I got from parents and students (the staff and faculty is great) was the main motivating factor when we decided to homeschool. And if you don't know the entire story perhaps you shouldn't say anything at all.

    When you park in a public parking lot and post something like this on your car, you can't expect not to have a picture taken. Taking pictures in a public parking lot isn't worth a law suite. And parking to take a picture? In a parking lot. That's what parking lots are for. If she doesn't want to be involved she shouldn't write derogatory things about children on her car. Funny how the Cox people ran over to try to photograph the photographer too. Then again, Cox would like to take all of our rights away from us as he "sidesteps the constitution."

    I always love when people hide behind "anonymous."

    ReplyDelete
  4. I also highly doubt you're "undecided." This sound just like the regular Cox Campaign propaganda and lie machine.

    ReplyDelete
  5. you know...i respect both candidates verry highly...it's the people campaigning on BOTH sides that have just taken this too far. never am i told why i should vote for someone. but instead i hear why i should not vote for someone else. the truth is just getting lost and it is effecting both parties.
    yes i do agree that you should never slander children. but kids all over the high school are being told by his daughter that our schools suck and are not good enough for her. it would be more tactfull if she were to say that she just doesn't have the classes available to her that she needs through our schools.
    as far as a lawsuit...the driver of the car was told that this is becoming harrassment being that she has seen the same man by her car 3 times while she is at work. i was making a response to the blogger from alabama who was talking about a lawsuit.
    these are not threats, cox propaganda or a lie machine. maybe i'm just frustrated with the whole thing. by the way my intention was to vote for haney. i'm not saying that i'm not going to vote that way i'm just soooooo fet up with all the stupid chatter.
    this race is out of hand...all families have stuff in their closet...and so do their supporters. we can find good and bad in everyone. i'm sure i could find bad stuff about your family as well as you could find some in mine. i just thought it was a free country. maybe she wrote it on her car because she wanted people to know that his kids were not supportive of our town which they should be.
    i am proud to live in trinity county and have my kids go to trinity schools.

    ReplyDelete
  6. of coarse you wouldn't post my second comment.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Is that to imply that you sent a second comment that I didn't post (not true!) or that your second comment would be so crass that I wouldn't post it? You're right if it's the second. If you post again, making denigrating comments about a young person, I won't post it. If you want to act like a grown up, I will.

    It's not surprising that you don't appreciate the irony of your first comment. I write a post about adults gossiping about kids. And you post back saying basically that she "deserved" to be gossiped about. That's the kind of attitude that produces today's bullies. I wouldn't be surprised if you were the parent of one of the lovely children that probably made life so pleasant at that school for so many others. After all the apple usually doesn't fall far from the tree.

    ReplyDelete
  8. But I have to say I am curious and I really didn't receive a second comment. You have to make sure you put in the little visual captcha for it to send (which means you have to press publish twice).

    ReplyDelete
  9. http://awomansplaceis.blogspot.com/2010/09/response-to-combox-comment.html

    ReplyDelete
  10. New York is having problems with reporters bullying children of one of the governor candidates. Apparently the NY Post sent reporters and photographers after his 10 year old daughter. Then a reporter from the Post got all up in the candidates face (being completely rude imo) asking about accusations he had made against the opponent. The candidate then threatened the reporter telling him to stay away from his children.

    I thought news reporters were suppose to be professionals. This really diminishes my view of the Post, imo they come off looking like unprofessional jerks, both in relation to the daughter and in asking questions to the candidate in the video.

    ReplyDelete
  11. You were right anonymous! Blogger had spammed your second comment. I just found it (I wasn't trying to sensor you since it wasn't a bad comment) when I noticed a #1 next to the spam.



    First off I personally know the person who snapped the photo and that was the first and ONLY time that he's ever driven by to snap a picture. He DOES shop at Ace once or twice a week. So it's not harassment. It's a woman who's paranoid. I felt bad for her until she ran after my photographer (who again, had only been there 1 time) and tried to intimidate him.

    I wouldn't be surprised if other people had snapped pictures too. But I know that the person who she ran out and tried to intimidate wasn't the SAME person.



    Again, if you personally had experienced the treatment of the girls at that high school, I'd be surprised if you could judge the young lady in any way. 

It's very sad when adults get involved in such a negative way (and your first statement did attempt to justify the gossip), particularly when they only know a fraction of the story. I think if you knew much more you'd be mortified. 

There are people out there who should be in a federal prison because of what's gone on. I just hope it happens sooner rather than later.

    And it's not "dirty secrets" about someone's family that are hurting Cox. It's Cox's actions during the campaign that are reprehensible. I know people personally that have been roared at (he is a bully) by him for not putting up his signs. The actions of family shouldn't come into it. That's the point. And that's exactly what Dave Cox has done.

    If you want to see positive ads that tell you why to vote for someone read any of Haney's ads. I haven't seen a single negative ad come out of the campaign.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous,

    Reading your posts is a good exercise in abnormal psychology.

    First, we read that you think children should never be slandered.

    Second, we read that in this particular case of the Haney child it is allowable because other children, at a school in which the Haney child no longer attends, "say" she is talking disparagingly about their school.

    Third, you then proceed to hold the minor as more morally culpable than the adult. Keep in mind that you have only hearsay for information on the child and photographic evidence for the adult. Furthermore, you disregard the fact that one is a child and the other is AN ADULT.

    Fourthly, you then sympathize with this adult who is drawing negative attention to herself by attacking children. You begin to claim that others who just happen to be holding her responsible for what in truth is morally repugnant and evil are violating her first amendment rights. I am glad to see that relativism is alive and well in Trinity County. Common sense on the other hand seems to be taking a back seat to the afore mentioned relativism.

    Anonymous, most people would look at this woman who slanders children by car propaganda and see her as a complete psycho. This psychopath then wonders why people stop to look at her. Perhaps she even wonders why others might take pictures of this freak-show. Instead of realizing this woman for what she is, either A. crazy or B. evil; you have raised her up to be some sort of political martyr.

    If you want the "stupid chatter" to end I recommend being quite. Look at what is being said by both candidates and their supporters. If a maniac who paints political messages all over her car can convince you to muddy the clear waters perhaps democracy is too complicated for you. Now open your eyes and stop being dense.

    ~Thomist

    ReplyDelete
  13. First or all I would like to thank Cammie for standing up for me through all this. Second I would like to say I never said one bad thing about Trinity high school and I never would in fact I do tell people I went to Shasta because they had the classes I wanted to take that would help me achieve some of my goals for college. Trinity high school is a great school but so is Shasta high school they both have a positive and negative side(BOTH OF THEM). Everyone knows that this campaign is getting way to out of hand. I am proud of my dad who is holding his head up high and not letting all these UNTRUE RUMORS get to him. No one knows my dad like my family and I do. He is loving, caring, knows how to get a job done, is a good leader, knows how to get his point across, would be an AMAZING sheriff, and lastly he is the best dang daddy I could ever ask for, and I know he would be a great sheriff and those who think other wise should take a good hard look at both candidates and see how both of them have been running this race, and after you do that it will be obvious that Bruce Haney(my dad) is the best all around! I love my dad so much and having to read the rude/fake rumors is disturbing but the Haney family is such a strong family that none of these rumors bother us because we are to much of a loving family that we wouldn’t let those things get to us. I can speak for a lot of us and say I cant wait till November 3rd to come around and I cant wait to see my dad as the new Trinity County sheriff! Thank you again Cammie! HANEY FOR SHERIFF! This will be my one and only statement as I will not participate in an online battle. Love you Daddy!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks so much for commenting Lindsay and setting the record straight! Hang in there! We're counting down the days until November when your dad is finally sheriff!

    ReplyDelete

I love comments and I read every single comment that comes in (and I try to respond when the little ones aren't distracting me to the point that it's impossible!). Please show kindness to each other and our family in the comment box. After all, we're all real people on the other side of the screen!