Letters: POLITICAL COMMERCIALS IMPORTANT

  In Response to Bill Cleary's Cheers and Jeers column in the April 24 edition of the Gloucester City News – Jeers to Bill Cleary.

  You might not enjoy being informed about the candidates running for president, but many of us do. Some of us still believe in the political process and we should be championing it, not degrading it.

  You can tell a lot about your candidate by watching their commercials, and it is not always confined to their political promises.

  You can tell what kind of campaign they are running and if they spend more time attacking their opponent than on their own message.

  If you do not like the commercial, change the channel.

  It is one of the rights afforded to every television viewer who does not like what is on their screen.

Melissa McHugh, Gloucester City

NOTE FROM Bill:

Dear Melissa,.

We have been watching these so called "informative commercials" from the candidates for the past two years. If you and others like you don't know who you are going to vote for by now, then we are in big trouble. The last campaign report on what it has cost  the  three candidates over the past 24 months to run for office is nearing $400 million. I could think of so many other ways to spend that kind money instead of wasting it on bashing each other; how about you?

Are you sure you don't live in Florida and maybe you are just visiting Gloucester City?  (Just kidding) I appreciate the fact that you would take your time to respond to my column. Sincerely I do. No doubt whatever I write I will not change your mind nor would you be able to change how I feel. So how about we agree to disagree and leave it go at that.

Related: A Few Thoughts....Enough, Enough, Enough

Comments

thank you again for sharing your views. Bill

[Melissa]

It's a right given to me by the Constitution (specifically the nineteenth amendment) that I can vote for whomever I choose and I don't remember a clause that states when I should know who I will vote for. I have until the first Tuesday in November to make up my mind. I happen to have chosen my candidate already, but anyone who makes up their mind and doesn't leave room for new ideas and a fresh perspective is in danger of being close-minded, my least favorite category of people.

The candidates can spend their money and the money they raise any way they choose, as long as it conforms to the laws set in place to regulate it. It's not like if they chose not to spend that $400 million dollars on campaigning, it would automatically go to fund education and health care. I think you're being facetious and glib in trying to insinuate otherwise.

By the way, I was born and raised in Gloucester City. As were my parents. And my grand-parents and nearly every generation of my family for the last century. I find it insulting for you to suggest that anyone who wasn't born and raised in Gloucester could feel differently than you do.