Guest Opinion: Aboud running on issues and Downing’s record
by Pamela K. Sutherland on Aug. 31, 2006, under OpinionIn her Tuesday column “Engendered servitude: Decency bests sex,” Billie Stanton, the Citizen’s assistant editorial page editor, opined that I have “shamelessly mischaracterized the record of state Rep. Ted Downing.”
She went on to imply that the Arizona List-endorsed candidate in the race for state Senate in District 28 (Sen. Paula Aboud) was engaged in “negative campaigning, dishonest campaigning, rotten, reputation-dismantling campaigning.”
I called Ms. Stanton and asked exactly to what she was referring.
She said that Sen. Aboud had been wrong on Rep. Downing’s vote on the Rio Nuevo funding extension and that Sen. Aboud was wrong to imply that Rep. Downing condoned marital rape in any way.
Actually, Ted Downing did oppose the legislation extending the funding for Rio Nuevo. Newspapers reported that it was odd that the biggest opponent to Rio Nuevo was the legislator who represented the very district that benefited from the money.
Several articles ran in the papers in January and February of this year – you can Google it and check it out yourself. Downing himself even wrote an op-ed piece about his opposition to the funding.
Even now, when he is claiming that he supported funding Rio Nuevo, he is simultaneously claiming that there is not sufficient accountability for the money and that the city of Tucson is not spending the money correctly.
His Web site contains a chart of money moving from one column to another. What is the point of such a chart if Downing is “100 percent behind” the funding?
Downing also voted against the legislation that made spousal rape carry the same penalty as other rapes. His vote on the spousal rape bill is clear.
His vote was wrong and there’s no reason not to talk about it. He was joined in his vote by four other legislators, all conservative Republicans. This is a matter of fact, not opinion.
Talking about issues is the best part of political campaigning. I got involved in electoral politics back in 1978 because of issues, and the candidates I have personally supported have been issue-driven.
I hate negative campaigning, and I hate personal attacks on candidates.
This is why the Legislative District 28 Senate race is so disturbing. Sen. Aboud has run on issues. She has presented a contrast between her own votes and priorities and the demonstrated voting record of Rep. Downing.
If Ted Downing was playing fair and running on the issues, he would emphasize the differences between his votes and priorities and those of his opponent.
Unfortunately, what is happening here is that Downing has responded – not by addressing the issues she raised – but by claiming that Aboud is “lying.”
It is a time-honored tactic when you are losing one argument to change the topic to another argument that you may be able to win.
Lawyers are taught to argue the facts when the facts are with you, and argue the law when the facts are not with you. Downing is doing the same thing but in a more pernicious way. He has changed the debate from an issues-based debate to a debate over Aboud’s character.
Paula Aboud has been a tenacious advocate for Tucson and her time in the Senate earned her accolades from many.
Long before she was unanimously appointed to the Arizona Senate, she worked for Tucson Democrats, rebuilding the Democrats of Greater Tucson club and volunteering on numerous campaigns.
She is one of just three pro-choice women Democrats in the state Senate. Arizona List supports pro-choice women Democrats running for state and local office and we enthusiastically endorsed Sen. Aboud.
Arizona List stands by its endorsed candidates – even when mud is slung at them.
Make no mistake – there is “shameless mischaracterization” occurring in this race and it is rotten.
Calling another Democrat a “liar” – as Downing is doing – is not what campaigns are about. That sort of rotten character assassination has no place here in Tucson.
Ted Downing must be made to stop, and the press needs to return to the issues important to the voters in this race.
Pamela K. Sutherland is executive director of Arizona List, a political committee to elect pro-choice Democratic women in Arizona.
