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Sheriff Smith stays upbeat, even if signs come down

September 20, 2007 12:35 am

Over the past several weeks, I've noticed election signs for Spotsylvania County Sheriff Howard Smith go up and then disappear. At the same time, I see signs for his opponent, Jerry Tolson, appear and never move. I have also noticed Smith signs that had been vandalized.

I find it interesting that in a race between two law-enforcement professionals, one set of ads is unscathed and one set is frequently damaged or removed.

I think it's also interesting that while the candidate who is not having a signage problem is running a negative campaign, the candidate with signage losses remains positive and upbeat.

These signs are expensive to produce and require the dedication of supporters for their posting. I think if my signs were regularly damaged and came up missing, I would be a lot more negative and upset, yet Sheriff Smith stays upbeat and positive.

Maybe that is a representation of the character of Sheriff Smith: Stay upbeat and positive although faced with negativity, and don't let those who would undermine you drag you to that level.