Negative Campaigning Ramps Up in the 5th District

Negative campaigning has gone on the airwaves and into mailboxes in the 5th district. I've heard reports that direct mailing from the campaigns or PACS supporting John McGoff and Susan Brooks have slammed David McIntosh in the last few days. And McIntosh has responded to these mailers with a new television ad implying that Brooks and McGoff aren't really conservatives.

In case you've forgotten, there's actually a 4th candidate in the race: Marian Mayor Wayne Seybold. One of his ads takes a subtle swipe at McIntosh's residency issues by having the announcer say that Seybold "LIVES in Indiana" and will continue to if elected. But besides that mild swipe, Seybold's radio and television ads have stayed positive.

The following is a Letter to the Editor released by the Seybold camp. A bit of a history note: The letter mentions Congressman Mike Pence as an example on how candidates should campaign. It is worth noting that Pence ran for Congress before winning against an incumbent Democrat, and lost in part due to the perceived negative campaigning.

A CALL FOR POSITIVE CAMPAIGNING
To the Editor:
As a candidate for office, I believe in bringing a positive approach to the position – a
confident campaign based on my conservative convictions.
Yet, today, after a long day of campaigning, I returned home to the epidemic that has
captured the Republican Party and the political world, as a whole. This epidemic has
torn down the fabric of not only our party, but our state and our great country. Sadly, I
returned home to a mailbox full of negative campaign ads.
Enough! Today, I’m calling for a stop to the negative campaigning that has gone on at
every level. As we look at the large obstacles facing our country today, it is sad that the
election system put in place by our Founders to fix these challenges is so broken. When
I see the great leaders of our communities, our party, our state and our country lashing
out against one another, I am disgusted by the fact that, as a prospective representative
of the people, we no longer seek victory in the arena of ideas. Rather, we mostly seek
victory by tearing down our opponents.
My biggest struggle as a father of three is how to explain to my boys the justification for
negative ads. These are people that they’ve met and have been encouraged to respect.
How are we, as parents, supposed to explain negative ads while teaching respect – that
it’s okay for adults who want to be leaders of our country to disrespect each other? How
are we supposed to reemphasize a key concept of our schools as anti-bullying
communities, when they see that we don’t have to live to the same standards? How are
we supposed to tell them that these are the leaders they should look up to?
continuedpage two – letter to the editor
As my staff and I have been out making calls and knocking on doors, we consistently
hear the same thing – “I am not going to vote, because I’m so tired of the negative
campaigning.” And the establishment wonders why we continue to have lower and lower
voter turnout?
We need to get back to the core values of our country. We need to get back to “We The
People” and the values of President Reagan, Governor Daniels and Congressman
Pence, who have sought to draw out the best in us, not divide us.
I encourage voters to get out and send a message to Washington, the State House,
County Courthouses and Town Halls. Enough is enough! Our party, our state and our
country’s future depend on it.
Sincerely,
Wayne Seybold
Candidate for US Congress
Contact: Jeff Howe, 317-408-2481
jeff@wayneseybold.com