Dear Travis and Ron

To: Travis Cummings and Ron Raymond

Re: Election Day, November 4

Hey, fellas,

Things in the District 3 campaign got pretty quiet here on MCS after I had to drop out of the race. Then the discussions of the sheriff's race and, later on, the clerk's race got really nasty, and I sure couldn't blame any candidate who chose to avoid personal participation on the website.

But those races and that nastiness are over, it seems. So are you guys willing to join me here in a gentlemanly discussion of a few issues that concern me as a District 3 resident and voter? I promise I won't bring up animal control.

It will give you each a chance to tell me and a lot of other people (sometimes more than a thousand at a time) who you really are.  You won't have your words limited to two minutes with a 45-second rebuttal, taken out of context as a matter of space limitations in news stories, or depending on others to reach out in your behalf. We saw here how that turned out in the races for sheriff and clerk. But, best of all in my opinion, you'll both have contributed to the noble goal of a better-educated electorate.

Both of you are quite capable of engaging bloggers and answering their questions. You've both got the public records of previous elected service to back your words, both seem to have different visions of the future, and maybe government's role in reaching the future. That's the kind of stuff that makes for good political debate.

So, guys, are you willing to help send informed voters to the booth in November, or do you prefer we once again be stuck trying to judge between two candidates only by the soundbites we hear at staged public forums and the number of signs on the side of the roads?

As an added inducement to join us here on MCS, I'll occasionally liken you two to Lincoln and Douglas.

Your future constituent,

Mike

michaelsmann@comcast.net