The primary elections here last week attracted intense national attention. A lot of money was spent, and Democratic, Republican and independent voters have spoken.
Now the focus turns to the general election, where the choices made will affect the future of the state, the region, the nation and even the world for years to come. So it matters who wins, and it matters how they win.
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Providence Business News will endorse a slate of candidates, but that is still to come. Right now, we want to make a few observations and recommendations about the nature of the races ahead.
Political campaigns should be hard-fought and passionate – the stakes are incredibly high. But they should be about real issues. They should shed light on the character of the candidates. They should illuminate, not obfuscate.
The primaries left a lot to be desired on that front. The victors in last week’s contests owe the state’s voters better.
Polls show that voters care deeply about a lot of important issues – health care, the economy, taxes, energy costs, terrorism and the war in Iraq, to name only the most pressing concerns. But for the last few weeks, they’ve been barraged with negative, misleading ads instead.
Let’s raise the bar before November. Campaigns fueled by massive war chests are too much about spin, manipulation, distortion and demagoguery. The voters of Rhode Island deserve to understand exactly what it means when they cast their vote for governor and senator and other state and municipal offices. After all, our future hangs in the balance.
