Lori Coleman: It takes political courage to travel the high road

If you were to ask our children to recount one of my most repeated admonishments, they would undoubtedly reply in unison: “Encourage, don’t discourage.”

I’ve used this mantra through the years in an effort to halt sarcasm and negativity while promoting a more positive approach to people and situations. It’s been my way of reminding them to take the high road. Has it been successful? Not always, but I feel it has provided a momentary pause to reflect upon questionable words or behavior – theirs, as well as my own.

With each new election season, I find myself wishing some candidates and proposition backers would embrace the wisdom of this simple message and remain positive. Instead, many radio and television spots, newspaper advertisements and campaign mailers attempt to persuade voters with negative portrayals of the opposition. Half-truths, insinuations, sensationalized spins and overhyped realities can leave the most trusting person skeptical about the political process.

As a young voter, I eagerly devoured any information I could find about candidates and ballot issues in an effort to make informed decisions. Through the years, however, I find myself scrutinizing nearly all political materials with a wary eye. Wondering what to believe, I long for the day when campaign literature and advertisements exclusively present positive, truthful messages.

I recognize that a more constructive approach to securing votes would probably not be validated by polling research. However, I do suggest there are others, like myself, who are disheartened by those who tear down their opponents just to build up themselves.

In Turlock, where I have lived for nearly 25 years, we are preparing to elect a new mayor. I’ve always taken pride in our community and its relatively calm and stable city government, and look toward our two mayoral hopefuls with confidence that either can successfully guide Turlock along this same path. The Modesto Bee’s editorial board echoed similar sentiments: “In voting for either Mike Brem, 59, or Gary Soiseth, 30, the citizens of Turlock will be making a good choice for mayor. Rarely have we seen a race with two such qualified candidates. Even more rarely have we seen such a polite, even friendly, race. During The Bee’s editorial board meeting, each spent more time agreeing with his opponent than pushing his own position.”

So when a negative political mailer arrived at my home, contrasting the experience of our mayoral candidates, I was disappointed and resolved to seek the truth. Speaking with the candidate endorsed by the piece, I found it had been created, paid for and distributed by a third-party organization without his approval. In fact, he indicated that though the information about him was accurate, he would not have chosen to portray his credentials in this manner or include such a grainy photograph of his opponent. Unfortunately, he noted, this was the “dirty side of politics.”

In response, his opponent posted a copy of the mailer on his Facebook page, outlined the facts of his own experience and credited the misleading piece to “supporters of (his) opponent” rather than the individual himself. He also restated his “commitment to running a clean, positive, issues-based campaign.”

Though the California Fair Political Practices Commission indicates such political mailings are allowed by law (with certain caveats), their negative biases serve only to confuse and misinform voters. In the end, this distorted information may cause both voters and our political system to suffer the same fate as losing candidates.

“Encourage, don’t discourage” … how intriguing to note that the operative word “courage” provides the basis for both directives. I believe politicians, and those independent groups who support them, should have the courage to replace damaging or destructive tactics with positive words and actions to garner votes.

It’s time to take the high road. It’s time for political courage.

This story was originally published October 23, 2014 at 3:09 PM with the headline "Lori Coleman: It takes political courage to travel the high road."