Q: How do you run as a Republican at a time when the GOP is about as popular as tooth decay?A: Pretend that a Democrat endorsed you!
That at least was the lame idea of Tessie Wilson, the Republican incumbent School Board member in Fairfax County's Braddock District, who sent a deceptive mailing to voters designed to make it appear that she had the support of the District's Democratic Supervisor, Sharon Bulova.
It was enough to push Ms. Bulova to send out a press release making it crystal-clear that she actually supports and endorses Wilson's Democratic opponent, Liz Griffith.
Tessie Wilson's sneaky mailing is in the form of a letter titled "A Message from Sharon Bulova's School Board Appointee." In fact, the letter is from a woman named Emily Snyder who was appointed to the School Board by Ms. Bulova for a brief period of service twelve years ago. The letter mentions Sharon Bulova - without her permission - several times, most egregiously when Ms. Snyder states
Both Sharon and I believe constituent service should be the primary responsibility of any public official. This is the main reason I support Tessie for re-election.
Note the clever wording ("Both Sharon and I..."), designed to fool voters into thinking that this is actually an endorsement by the popular Ms. Bulova rather than the obscure Ms. Snyder.
While Republicans pulling dirty tricks is not exactly unheard of, you might expect that a School Board election at least would be exempt from these types of shenanigans. But apparently Tricky Tessie doesn't see it that way.
In fact, students, parents and teachers deserve honest, trustworthy School Board representatives who will fight for them. That's exactly the type of School Board member that Liz Griffith will be - if you help her beat Tessie and get elected November 6th!
Tessie's minions first responded to the Teacher's union endorsement on Liz's signs by ripping them down.
Apparently Tessie has decided to reject reality and substitute her own.
We've already been through this once, Tessie sent an identical letter in 1999 from this Emily Snyder woman in the last week of the election, and Sharon was "outraged" then also, and Tessie went on to unseat incumbent Democrat Ilryong Moon.
Politics in the Braddock District feels like the Groundhog Day movie sometimes.
Regarding partisan politics, the way that the Republicans have run this country -- and a few other countries -- into the ground recently, I personally don't want to be represented by them at any level of government, from President right down to garbage collector.