Our elected officials are subject to a job performance review every time they stand for re-election. That's when voters tell them whether or not their job performance has earned them another term. So, I can't imagine anything more disrespectful than not showing up for that performance review.
That's exactly what Republicans are doing when they follow their Party Leaders' instruction not to attend the League of Women Voters Candidate Forums. The League is a totally non-partisan 501c-3 organization, whose purpose is to register voters and provide accurate information about all the candidates running in every race. In fact, the information they provide is supplied by the candidates themselves. You can find that information at Vote411.org.
The Washington County VA Republican Committee has sent an email to the League saying that NONE of their candidates will be in attendance this year to take questions from voters. Since 3 out of 5 of their Constitutional Office candidates have never served in the office they are seeking, they don't even have a record they can run on. That's like not showing up for the job interview in the first place.
Conventional political wisdom is that a forum doesn't favor the incumbent, and yet the Democratic incumbents will all be there to take questions from voters. They will run on their records. In fact, all the Democratic candidates will be there period, sharing their platforms and asking respectfully for your vote.
Gaming the system, Republicans realized that under League Rules, if your opponent does not show up, a candidate cannot answer questions, but can only make a 5 minute statement. So candidates can get their message to voters. It just doesn't work the other way around. Voters will not be able to get their concerns to the candidates.
Is that the kind of leadership that Washington County needs and deserves? Candidates who fail to show ups for their interview and performance review? Democrats will see you at the LWV Forums on September 18th and 28th at the Higher Ed. Center at 7:00pm.
Local offices are about people, not about Party. You know our people. Get to know our Party. Washington County Rural Democrats. Leadership you can follow.