Smear Today… Gone Tomorrow

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(Promoted again. Philip Baruth and Doug Hoffer are pledging to help defend Mike against the Republican smears. Anyone else?

As we witnessed in the Republican primary and earlier in St. Albans City elections, there is a particularly ugly side emerging in Franklin County politics; but daylight is the best disinfectant, so we especially appreciate Mike’s diary appearing on GMD! – promoted by Jack McCullough)

Just so we’re clear, I’m Mike McCarthy, and I post on GMD as azvox. I’m a Democratic candidate for the State House in Saint Albans (Franklin 3-1). I also am a new Dad, a husband, the owner and operator of Cosmic Bakery & Cafe on Main Street, a volunteer at the St. Albans Community Justice Center and the Vice Chair of the Saint Albans Downtown Board.

A day after the primary a friend tagged me on his Facebook comment on a page entitled “I Like Mike McCarthy to Go Away”. The page, mirroring my campaign site, was filled with messages dating back to June 19 imploring the anonymous author’s friends to show their dislike for me.

All of the posts on the page were in caps, so the page had a pretty amateur feel, but the animosity was expressed with great enthusiasm and little humor. A hint of positivity graced the page, a link to the page of one of my opponents, Casey Toof.

Saint Albans is a pretty close-knit town, and we usually avoid overt negativity in our local races. However since the contentious City Council race in the Spring, it seems that some people find it acceptable to trash talk and call candidates “ARROGANT, SELFISH, and OUT FOR HIMSELF” on the old Facebook.

The site has since come down, but facebook traffic about the site has revealed some of the author’s associates and their feeling that my letter in the Labor Day edition of the Saint Albans Messenger was “full of untruths”.

It’s funny how bullies claim they’re the victims when a light is shown on their behavior. As I said in my letter to the editor, I would ask my supporters to keep their responses positive and clear about the vision we have for a more vibrant Saint Albans.

You can “like” my real Facebook page at http://facebook.com/ilikemikes…

8 thoughts on “Smear Today… Gone Tomorrow”

  1. This sort of behavior already back-fired on the perpetrators in the City Council election.  What sort of nimrod doesn’t get that message?

    Just because it was successful within the Republican Party in turfing Mr. Sinagra out of the senate primary doesn’t mean it will be tolerated by City voters, who were already sickened by the frat-boy bullying that occurred in this year’s City election.

    Mind your own reputations, boys; and stop trying to mess with those of other candidates.

  4. As Vermont Republican operatives continue to echo the smear tactics and negativity of the RNC, we on the left must continue to work together to run positive, issue oriented campaigns.  Keep up the good work.

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