Posted on: Sunday, October 31, 2004

EDITORIAL
Don't let cheap tactics influence your vote

It's a scenario that has become all too common in recent Hawai'i elections, one that seems to start increasingly earlier in the campaign.

Look for last-minute mailers and other political ads that are particularly damaging and unproven to be circulated in the waning days of the campaign.

Consider this: If the information is legitimate, why does it only surface when there's no real time to study it, respond to it or assess the facts?

The people who peddle these hit pieces are counting on our gullibility and our ability to think the worst of people.

An increasingly pervasive element — and one to be particularly careful about — is unverified Internet pieces. Anyone can say anything on the Internet; that doesn't make it true. And these pieces are not subjected to same rigor of fact checking and balance applied to mainstream news organization reports.

Listen to what the candidates say on the record, and make your decisions that way.

Particularly troubling are mailers and brochures often put out by the political parties "without the consent" of the candidate. While such brochures don't often outright lie, they take specific facts and twist them out of proportion.

Sadly, many voters don't have the time to sort out the facts cited in these brochures. In the case of smear tactics, voters either conclude the candidate is tainted or the other campaign was spreading old and harmful stories. Either way, somebody loses.

So when you go to the polls Tuesday, think about the issues that are important. Think about where each candidate stands. And vote on the facts.

If you're interested: For more information on the candidates and their positions check The Advertiser's Voters' Guide.