This is from mayoral candidate Steve Cuda’s nephew, Andrew Cuda. It is addressed to McHenry Voters.
Steve Cuda answers a question, while Sue Low listens.
“I grew up in McHenry and my family lives in McHenry. For this reason, I have been following this year’s mayoral election from afar.
“I am concerned, however, with the direction the election is going. I know some might choose not to listen to me because I no longer live in McHenry. And others might cast this email aside as biased because my uncle is one of the candidates. But I urge you to please consider not the author of this email, but the arguments put forth.
“I am not going to urge anyone to vote for any specific candidate. I am instead going to urge voters to decide their vote based on arguments and issues—and not on anecdote or slander.
“I recently read an e-mail written by candidate Sue Low and her husband [read it here] regarding her campaign for re-election.
“Sadly, the email was full of the faulty reasoning and negative attacking that has become rampant in contemporary politics.
“Ms. Low begins by defending her family’s decision to file for bankruptcy. There is nothing wrong with that. She has a personal right and an obligation to her community to defend that decision.
“She goes wrong, however, in asserting that her personal financial decisions have nothing to do with her ability to be mayor.
“It’s common practice for political candidates to release information about their personal finances.
“That’s because some voters think candidates who do well managing their own finances will also do well managing the public’s finances.
“The extent to which this is true might be debatable.
“What is not debatable, however, is that they do not have ‘nothing to do with each other.’
“The most egregious aspect of the email, however, is the way Ms. Low quotes Alderman Andy Glab.
“She claims that Mr. Glab said some pretty unflattering things about her.
“And yet she gives no sources whatsoever.
“Are voters to simply trust her word?
“If Mr. Glab did indeed say those things, then both he and the readers of the email deserve the places, times, and contexts of the quotes in addition to any corroborations or recordings of them.
“Without them, they amount to nothing more than hearsay.
“Ms. Low’s hearsay claims would be thrown out at once in court.
“And it’s an insult to the voters of McHenry that she would think they would take them seriously.
“After claiming that Mr. Glab said the things specified in the e-mail, she goes on to attribute the quotes not just to Mr. Glab, but to ‘Alderman Glab and the candidate he represents.’
“Even if Mr. Glab did say those things, Ms. Low provides no evidence whatsoever that her opponent endorses those views.
“In any election, there will be supporters of all the candidates who say outrageous things.
“Should we automatically attribute those things to the candidates themselves?
“Of course not.
“Finally, Ms. Low ends her e-mail by stating that she loves the city of McHenry.
“I’m sure she does.
“But that’s not evidence that she would be a good mayor.
“I love the Chicago Blackhawks, but that doesn’t mean I’d do a good job running the team.
“I therefore urge the voters of McHenry to disregard all the rumors, hearsay, and slander they have heard.
“I urge them to disregard reputation and appeals to emotion.
“Instead, I urge voters to consider the positions of each candidate.
“A good place to start is the pair of interviews each has done with the Northwest Herald:
http://elections.nwherald.com/race/295/McHenry-Mayor/
“In addition, the two candidates will be debating each other at the Shah Center on March 21 [already held; see story here]. I encourage everyone who is able to attend. Remember that when you vote for a candidate, you’re voting not only for YOUR candidate, but for the candidate of your fellow citizens. Don’t you owe it to them to base your vote on arguments and positions and not rumors, hearsay, and appeals to emotion?
“I hope the tone of this campaign turns around soon. So many people have complained about the state of politics at the national level. The least we can do is clean things up at the local level.”
Sincerely,
Andrew Cuda