Last century, a letter ran in the newspaper supporting then-candidate David Thompson for the Benton County Attorney position. Sometimes we've made statements that no longer ring true today. That was true for one "then supporter" of Thompson.
When running a campaign, it might do well to get permission from folks who signed their name on a document before republishing it decades later as an endorsement.
Upon opening my messages tonight I saw this note.
"Hi Valerie,
Rumor control has it that Dave Thompson has given you a paper showing that I endorsed him for Benton County Attorney. That was 24 years ago and my opinion has been changed. I’m not saying I dislike him but I don’t like his attitude.
As I told someone today, I used to wear diapers when I was a baby but I grew up.
Just not sure I want my name listed as a supporter.
Thank you for reading this!
Gary Benson"
So there you have it. Ads that ran in the ancient forms of communication last century, known as newspapers, ran again this week..as is, but they are misleading the reader.
I'd talk to Sheriff Popenhagen about his feelings today, but I don't believe he is available for comment. The third guy who signed this letter is now a Private Investigator last I heard in Waverly, not that this stopped him from endorsing Thompson for OUR county (or wanting to hunt down the writer of an opinion piece with a pen name who was not supporting Thompson). It seems like there's a theme here.
So there you have it. Setting the record straight for at least one guy and clarifying the players in the latest campaign saga. The TV stations would say, “we give this ad a..,â€� D for a decrepit disingenuous desperate display. Disheartening.
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Did David Thompson attempt to pass off the old article as current or attempt to claim current support for those who signed the document or was he just sharing historical fact? I would hope not since it is clearly dated.
I believe this document was authored in support of David Thompson and also opposition to Mr Lough? If so did we ask Mr. Benson about his current feelings on Mr. Lough's ability to do the job as well as why those feelings have changed? That would be truly helpful when making a decision.
Why does it matter where someone with pertinent and direct knowledge of a situation live? Why would we limit our scope of knowledge by geography? Should your address disqualify your information of a situation?
Lastly why is the document in question virtually unreadable on this website? With today's photo and scanning capabilities I am disappointed with the quality. It may be old and opinions may have changed but since 3 professional men with direct knowledge of the situation felt the need to write and publish it, I for one would like to read the full letter and understand why and how the situation has changed for both candidates.
Please properly scan the document and upload it so it can be properly viewed especially since most of us wouldn't even know it existed without this article.
I look forward to getting all the facts on both candidates pertinent to their ability to hold and perform the duties of their desired political office and making an educated unbiased decision with my vote.
-God bless
Editor's note: Apparently one of the original authors was bothered enough and feels differently in who he supports decades later. He wanted it clarified that he no longer feels that way and was NOT asked his feelings on rerunning this bit of history.
Location matters when trying to influence voters in an area where you no longer live...this is why the campaign did not list his location in another letter they published from him.
As an online gal, I am grinning when you say, "since most of us wouldn't even know it existed without this article..." and then want me to make it easy to read here, well, trust me, if you live here, you have the ability to see it. If you don't live here you won't.
For those of us who do, that was the purpose of this article to set the record straight for one of those professionals who had the guts to say, "I no longer feel that way."