The Valley Reporter - Why tolerate it?

Perhaps it's a fact of life in a small town in a small state. We would not expect either of the two candidates running for state representative from Warren, Waitsfield and Fayston to personally attack each other and if those candidates, Carol Hosford and Adam Greshin, did, we would be disappointed and offended.

Because in a small town and small state people often have many areas of connection even as they run against each other for office. Their kids may play on the same sports team; they may belong to the same church or community organization. Their lives may be lived too closely for them to attack each other personally and so they have to campaign on issues.

So why do we tolerate the type of mud slinging that goes on at the national level? Does it do us any good to hear one presidential candidate call another unpresidential or untrustworthy or uninformed or unready? At a minimum, having accepted their parties' nominations, each of the two candidates might be considered presidential and ready.

How does it serve the political process for one candidate to use another candidate's "foreign sounding" middle name to whip up a crowd?

Why do we tolerate a politician standing by idly while someone in a whipped up crowd shouts, "Kill him," in reference to one presidential candidate, as occurred at a political rally this week?

There are more than enough legitimate and pressing issues for candidates to explain their positions on without having to resort to attacking their opponents?

We are all diminished -- regardless of our political preferences -- when our politicians stoop so low.

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