Well, the tidal wave of stupid political mailings and ads shows no sign of ebbing. The most hateful thing about political adverts is their intent: Not information, but manipulation, which is an extra shame given a Gallup poll I fell across the other day.
Gallup found 60 percent of Americans distrust the press. The sad part is, back in the 1970’s, 72 percent of Americans Gallup surveyed had faith in “the news.”
Nor is it a shock that, yep, 74 percent of Republicans distrust (and 58 percent of Democrats trust) the media. But the finding that 69 percent of Independents distrust news providers, nine points more than the overall average and only five points back of Republicans, amazed me.
Might that lack of trust – which too many journalists worked hard to earn – matter? Well, if ads are lies, and news stories are lies, how will you figure out how to vote?
Worse, what about those races down the ticket, with no lying ads or stories at all? Say, our two Supreme Court contests? The first actually isn’t a contest, because the lawyer I hoped to vote for withdrew this spring. So, incumbent Justice Brian Morris is alone on the ballot. Because few voters know that Morris could “lose” if less than half the ballots cast are marked beside his name, he’ll “win.”
The other race features Ed Sheehy and Laurie McKinnon. Know who they are? Well, according to Lee Newspapers state polling, Montana voters haven’t a clue – the candidates are within 2 points, with a whopping 55 percent undecided. That’s nuts, considering Lee polled Montana’s Obama/Romney race at only 5 percent undecided. So, let me help a little – since I’m not a real reporter you can trust me.
Ed Sheehy is a Butte native. His uncle, John C. Sheehy, was appointed a state justice in 1978, after four terms as a Democratic state legislator. In 2007, both Sheehys testified in favor of eliminating the death penalty.
After 28 years of private lawyering, Sheehy went to work for the Montana Public Defender, specializing in defending major crimes – including Christmas killer Tyler Miller.
Laurie McKinnon, from Maryland, has essentially no overt political history – I checked. Elected to a Montana judgeship in 2006, McKinnon made her biggest blip on Montana radar screens with her 2010 ruling denying eminent domain to the Montana Alberta Tie Limited (MATL) power line. That lit a property-rights firestorm, but held up legally, forcing legislative action.
No, I can’t find her position on the death penalty. McKinnon worked mostly in criminal defense prior to 2001, including private work as defense counsel for death penalty cases for five years in Maryland, after being a prosecutor. Hmmm – ready to vote now?
How about the ballot measures? We’re facing three Legislative Referendums from the 2011 Legislature, and two initiatives.
LR-120: Requires parental 48-hour notification for minors under 16 who seek abortions. Exceptions are: Medical emergency; sealed waiver from youth court; waiver from parent or guardian. If parents/guardians deny support to a minor in favor of an abortion outcome, the minor is legally emancipated.
LR-121: Denies state aid to illegal aliens, using Department of Homeland Security or “other lawful” protocols to verify status. Illegal applicants are to be ratted out by state agency staff.
LR-122: Prohibits the “Obamacare” mandate and fines. Exceptions: Court-mandated purchases as part of a judicial dispute; as part of child support; or university-student requirements.
IR-124: Repeals/replaces the 2011 Legislature’s repeal/replacement of the pot initiative. Sponsored by the Montana Cannabis Industry Association.
I-166: Directs Montana politicians to implement “a policy that corporations are not human beings with constitutional rights” and calls to amend the U.S. Constitution accordingly.
Want more information on Montana’s ballot issues? Your Voter Information Pamphlet came last week. If you threw it away – the Montana Secretary of State posts the goods online.
Voting is a right and a responsibility. We each have the duty of casting our smartest, most-informed vote on every single line of our ballots, even if that means not checking the box. So please, vote smart. If you can’t vote smart, remember, vote Nov. 7.
Mike (Uncommon Ground) Jopek and Dave (Closing Range) Skinner often fall on opposite sides of the fence when it comes to political and outdoor issues. Their columns alternate each week in the Flathead Beacon.