Civility is good, just don’t ask for it
The months leading up to elections once were dubbed the “silly season.” With so many campaigns now devolving into accusatory mudslinging, however, the words “vile” and “disgusting” would be more appropriate to describe current campaign seasons.
In Stonington, the municipal election season is following this low-road trend, jumping off to a nasty start. Incumbent Selectwoman June Strunk announced earlier this month she’s at least temporarily breaking ties with the local Democratic party and seeking reelection as a Forward Party candidate after she accused unnamed Democrats of making discriminatory and slanderous comments about her. She has not been more specific about the comments.
Then, First Selectwoman Danielle Chesebrough’s request that municipal candidates for office join her in taking a civility pledge for the campaign elicited some not-so-civil responses.
Chesebrough is an unaffiliated candidate running for a third term as the town’s top elective officeholder.
While Democrat Laura Graham, a candidate for first selectman, signed the pledge, at least two other candidates called the request a publicity stunt and said they would not sign.
“I’m not going to sign a pledge to be a decent human being,” Republican candidate Bryan Bentz wrote in an email to Chesebrough. “I try to do that anyway, and I don’t see this as having any purpose other than pointless PR.”
Pawcatuck resident Michael Spellman, who is running for first selectman as an unaffiliated candidate, also rejected Chesebrough’s request and referred to the effort as “virtue signaling PR.”
Graham, on the other hand, along with many residents who chimed in their support for the pledge via social media, said the Board of Education
recently adopted a civility pledge and Democratic Town Chairwoman Sara Baker also is working to promote more civility in the democratic process.
Even giving Chesebrough the benefit of the doubt and acknowledging her intentions were good in making this request, the negative reaction is not surprising. It’s not difficult to see how one candidate’s request that their political opponents make a formal written pledge to be civil could produce some umbrage and defensiveness, and even be viewed as an insult. A more deft politician might have had better success in ensuring a civil campaign by approaching the others vying for municipal office in person and having private conversations about setting the tone of the campaign season.
With more than two months until November’s municipal elections and with an especially crowded field of candidates in Stonington that could make it ripe for personal attacks, we hope backlash over this incident doesn’t set the tone for political discourse until Election Day.
As first selectwoman, Chesebrough has shown herself to be open and respectful. Spellman, who hails from a family with a long political track record, has proven himself to be committed to working to improve the community. Bentz, too, has served the community in numerous volunteer capacities.
Despite the nasty political climate so prevalent in the country right now, we urge all Stonington candidates to put their community commitment at center stage and take the high road in this election. Signed pledge or no signed pledge, it’s best for the voters if they all remain civil in their political discourse in the run-up to Election Day.