We are in the heat of the primary campaign season for the May 22nd election. If you are a Democrat go register to vote! This is the ugliest time of the political season because people of the same party are vying for a smaller number of identifiable voters. Primaries are prime political season to unfriended colleagues on social media.
As is par for the course, every campaign season there is a story of a candidate stealing yard signs of their opponent or someone launching a criminal action for a stolen $3.00 yard signs.
However, technology has made the annual Political Hunger Games so much more interesting this year. This weekend a candidate for Douglas County Solicitor General was caught on a Ring camera system doing something other than winning votes.
If you are not familiar, the Ring system is a doorbell with an integrated camera and motion detector. When a person approaches your door the motion detector is activated and you can watch your front door, communicate via a microphone on the system, and playback any stored visits all from your smart phone. I love my Ring. Just buy it and thank me later!
The Ring however does not like candidate Christina Peterson who got an unflattering Ring camera candid cameo.
A Ring homeowner in a Douglas County subdivision received a visit from both candidates for Solicitor General. First his Ring camera is activated by candidate Rudy Harris. Rudy in his business attire and campaign t-shirt combo (smart choice) waited patiently for a response by the homeowner. When no one came to the door he left his literature in the door and casually walked away, presumably to the next voters home. Some unknown time later candidate Christina Peterson is seen approaching the camera with a sleek black dress. However, instead of knocking and waiting she is seen approaching the door and then quickly seen doing a walk-run-shuffle away from the door. #Awkward!
The criminal defense attorney in me cannot help but to point out that the video does not make it clear what Peterson took from the door, if anything. Although it is unclear if she took the other candidates literature, what is clear is she did not wait to try to speak to the homeowner. The ultimate point in going door to door in a political campaign is to talk to voters. She did not even try. Her haste to get away from the location made it appear she was doing something sinister.
Campaign Rookie Don’ts:
(1) Do not think the literature is more important than the conversation with voters. Yard signs and campaign literature do not vote, people do.
(2) Do not use dirty campaign tactics. People will find out and it will back fire.
(3) Do not steal. Pretty self-explanatory for people running to uphold law and order!
Let this be a lesson to candidates. Big Brother is everywhere and he is watching, recording, and sharing on social media.
