Tip your hat to the politicians

I got a post from Lee stating his new found respect for politicians from all stripes since he got involved in politics.

I’d like to agree with him. A tip of the hat to everyone who puts the towel on his/her arm and makes the decision to serve the public. It’s a tough job for not much pay (in most cases).

I come down hard on politicians for their policies but I admire their willingness to serve the public.

That’s why I refuse to believe all the crap that circulates about them during an election.

My parents came down for a visit over the weekend and after my dad got done with the ‘getting results together’ speech (he must have got his talking points), my mother proceeded to tell me about ‘those Liberals’ who had defaced a Brent Taylor sign. And how those Liberals had defaced
Tanker Malley.

And you’ve heard all the other allegations swirling around. Anonymous letters to constituents in Brent Taylor’s riding dredging up the past. People calling in the name of Joan MacAlpine demanding to know how some poor old senior will vote. Tories supposedly buying up all the Acadie Nouvelles so that Acadians wouldn’t see the CRA poll results showing a Liberal lead. And there’s more. Many more.

All I can say is this. There are a number of angry people out there. Folks that don’t like a certain politician and are going to great lengths to smear them – unethical behaviour and in some cases illegal behaviour.

But I can’t and won’t believe that this is organized by the candidates. For one thing, I have met enough to know that the vast majority of them are good, honest people. For another, I can’t imagine givine the reins of power to folks who would sanction unethical and even illegal acts to further their political aspirations.

For example, the Tory blog, Progress for New Brunswick includes very un-New Brunswick-like slander that includes saying:

This is the same Party [the Liberals] that would strip every Canadian of their property.

Snakes slither, jack-asses bray and Liberals Lie, it’s their nature.

They also have political grafitti on their site that most people would think is worse than defacing a political sign.

Brent Taylor links to this blog from his blog but I’ll bet he doesn’t endorse their slander.

So, to all those, like my mother, that think politicians/candidates would do this kind of sleazy stuff just to get elected, I say forget it.

The reality is that these wackos like the anonymous because-their-so-cocky-they-can’t-even -tell-us-who-they-are Progress for New Brunswick Project.

One thing is for sure, there’s lots of chickens in the NB blogosphere. I followed the blogging of the national election recently and almost all the posters had their names posted publicly (for example Warren Kinsella). There were a few anonymous blogs but usually serving up some inside knowledge. These guys in NB have no inside knowledge. They just don’t want anyone to know their names.

Of course, I have actually received threatening emails twice this week from a disgruntled blogger (and no I don think it’s part of any sanctioned campaign).

So maybe the anonymous bloggers are smarter than me.