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So far this political season, I have received six campaign flyers in the mail from a fellow named Ted Budd, who is running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in North Carolina to replace the retiring Richard Burr.
After reading his flyers, I have no idea where Budd stands on specific issues, although calling himself a “conservative fighter” and “conservative warrior” gives you some indication. I have no idea what kind of man he is and know nothing of his background, education nor experience. At this point, he is recognized more for having a name very similar to the previous person who held the position, a campaign tactic that brings to mind Eddie Murphy’s hilarious – and successful – character in the 1992 political comedy The Distinguished Gentlemen.
What I do know very clearly about Ted Budd is one thing: He is really, really proud of receiving the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
How can you tell? Well, Trump’s photos are a lot bigger than Budd’s, which is odd considering it’s Budd’s flyer. The only person quoted is Trump, especially when it comes to putting down Budd’s opponent, former Gov. Pat McCrory, for losing two prior races. And the Trump quote Budd likes most is the now infamous, “He will fight like hell.”
There’s nothing wrong with all that, of course. Folks can endorse whoever they want, and if the candidates appreciate it they are free to use it in campaign literature. Plus, to be fair, a political action committee called the Club for Growth Action claims to have paid for the flyers.
However, I miss the days of receiving flyers that actually talked about what the candidates believed in and their positions. I miss genuine conversations about the pros and cons of how best to tackle the most important issues. I miss civil civic discourse, as opposed to today’s exercises in juvenile name-calling.
In this era of 10-second soundbites, personal insults and political nonsense that plays well on social media, getting anything beyond a knee-jerk response has become more rare than a moderate on either side of the aisle in Congress. Perhaps we’ll discover some more thoughtful candidates during debates organized by the Cherokee County Republican Party.
u The State Board of Elections and county boards of elections did not send these flyers nor any mailings that promote voter participation. The board encourages voters to routinely check their registration status and details online at https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup.
u Last week, county boards of elections across North Carolina began sending absentee-by-mail ballots to registered voters who requested them for the primary Tuesday, May 17. Registered voters may request a ballot online at https://votebymail.ncsbe.gov/app/home before the deadline of Tuesday, May 10.
u The regular voter registration deadline for the primary is Friday, April 22. However, individuals who miss the deadline may register and vote at the same time during the in-person early voting period. For details, visit https://www.ncsbe.gov/registering.
u Just so you know, registered voters may not change their party affiliation after the voter registration deadline, and they also may not change their party affiliation at an early voting site.
u The in-person early voting period for the 2022 primary begins Thursday, April 28, and ends at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at the Cherokee County Board of Elections, 40 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy. It promises to be busy.
u Election Day is May 17, when polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. In North Carolina primaries, voters affiliated with a political party will be given a ballot of candidates for their party, while unaffiliated voters may choose the ballot of any party that has a primary.
Especially since that includes me, I’ve always been a fan of that policy. When only one party has the ability to put winning candidates on the ballot, it makes sense to involve as much of the community as possible. Without it, only a fraction of the entire county would be voting people into office, where millions of dollars in taxpayer’s money is at stake.
David Brown is publisher of the Cherokee Scout. You can reach him by phone, 837-5122; email, dbrown@cherokeescout.com; or Twitter @daviddBstroh.