Flyers, mailers, text messages and out of state door to door activists are descending upon the Wyoming electorate like a plague of locusts. Propaganda from black money organizations, candidates, websites, activists and NGO’s are full of all kinds of conflicting information.
So much conflicting information is heaped onto regular folks, it is hard to sort out the valid information from the pestilence.
This column addresses the lying propaganda being spewed out by out of state actors that is full of untruths.
Most recently, the group YAL (Young Americans for Liberty) is going door to door in support of the Freedom Caucus telling bizarre stories. The alliance is a strange relationship because one of the issues YAL stands for is legalization of drugs. One wonders what kind of back-room deal was made here?
The basis of civilized society is found in one of the ten commandments -- “Do not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”
The commandment is found twice in the Bible -- Book of Exodus 20:16 and Deuteronomy 5:20. Our society begins to fall apart when the voters are misled by falsities. Lying election propaganda is a pestilent threat to our freedom.
Lying black-money folks are seeking power over you and deception is their stock in trade.
This propaganda could be stopped in its tracks. If the candidates who benefit from the lies disavowed the pestilence, the lies would lose their effect.
Some candidates, when they have discovered lies about their opponents, have disavowed the information. Those candidates have integrity.
Rob Geringer, in Laramie County, issued a notice saying he was not behind communications attacking his opponent, and to only pay attention to communications which had a “paid for by the candidate” notice on them. Rob Geringer has integrity.
Sen. Ed Cooper did the same. He also said for voters to only pay attention to mailers actually sent out by the candidate's campaign. Ed Cooper has integrity.
Greg Smith met with Tara Nethercott. After they found they largely agree on the issues, and Smith, being upset about the nature of the campaign, left the race. Despite his withdrawal, the pestilent attacks continue. Smith has integrity. Those who attack with lies do not.
One also has to wonder why the attacks on Nethercott continue despite Smith withdrawing from the election. What is really going on here? Is Tara Nethercott being punished for some secret reason?
That being said, candidates who remain silent while knowing lies are perpetuated about their opposition are committing lies of omission. They do not care about the integrity of the system. They do not care about truth. They only care about power.
Candidates with integrity would show their honesty by disavowing the lies.
I challenge all candidates, running for office, who are the beneficiaries of knowing lying mailers, door-to-door campaigning or text messages to make a public statement. Tell the world you don’t want to win if winning is based on lies. Tell the world – and this pestilence – the integrity of our election system is more important than one individual’s success in an election.
Show the public you are worth their vote.
By committing lies of omission by not calling out false statements of the lying black money folks, these candidates reveal who they truly are – power hungry snake oil salesmen.
So, if these snake oil salesmen are willing to sacrifice their integrity remaining silent in the face of lies about political opponents, what do you think they will do to their constituents once elected? Snake oil salesmen are as snake oil salesmen do.
When the lying black money folks come to their hand-selected candidates for questionable favors, one has to wonder what the reaction of their snake oil salesmen candidates will be? Will they sell us out, too?
We need to stop being naïve. We need to vote against snake oil salesmen who are in bed with pestilence. If a candidate is supported by lying mailers, and has not disavowed the lying black money, vote for the opposition. A vote for integrity is better than a vote for snake oil salesmen.
The challenge has been made. We’ll see who has integrity, and who craves power at any cost.
Don’t hold your breath.
Tom Lubnau served in the Wyoming Legislature from 2005 - 2015 and is a former Speaker of the House.
He can be reached at: YourInputAppreciated@gmail.com
