As someone who has worked for many years on state and national electoral campaigns, I’m familiar with the tactic where an opponent is tied to something the public fears or dislikes — whether it’s based on something real or not. Unfortunately these tactics can work, particularly when voters are not into the actual details. As we have seen in national politics, things can get nasty. But, I expect something better from Lexington.
I am currently supporting one of the candidates for Planning Board, but that’s not what I’m writing about. It’s about whether some commentators in social media and letters to the editor – in their eagerness to see a particular candidate win – have been going a bit too far in making their arguments. Planning, which is complicated and tedious, is a topic where most voters are not into the nitty-gritty. This makes a Planning Board race particularly vulnerable to over-simplifying.
When it comes to national elections, I would love to see less nasty dialog, but I’m not holding my breath. But, in Lexington we are neighbors who mostly care about the same things. So, let’s try to keep the standard of our discussion high and remember that everyone running for Planning Board is volunteering to serve for a difficult job because they care about the town.
Barbara Katzenberg
Town Meeting Member, Precinct 2