In a recent conversation with Mr. Clyde S. Ledbetter, a Cleveland County Sheriff’s Candidate in the 2018 Elections, Mr. Ledbetter related to me that he plans to run again in the next Sheriff’s Election as a Petition Candidate. Mr. Ledbetter is registered as Unaffiliated and that is his (and every other unaffiliated registered voter’s) only way to run for a partisan elected office. I asked Mr. Ledbetter if I could publish his statements as an announcement and he said “sure.”
We talked a bit about the Petition Process for running for office. Mr. Ledbetter believes that is the best and only way to run for office without being beholding to the partisan political “hacks” (my words) in both the Democrat and Republican Parties. Especially since newly elected Chairman of the Cleveland County Republican Party, Dennis Bailey, has started a feud with the Federated Women Republicans of Cleveland County (WeRCC). And in the process Bailey has been admonished by higher-ups in Raleigh for trying to take over the WeRCC crowd. But Dennis, being Dennis, is said to be trying to divide the WeRCC women against themselves. Perhaps someone should remind Dennis Bailey that the enemy is the Democrats, not Republican women. Such a feud is bound to be bad for local and State Republican candidates.
So, in my opinion Mr. Clyde Ledbetter’s decision to stay registered as Unaffiliated is the right thing to do. Also, going out to talk to citizens to get over 2,544 signatures on his petition is a perfect grass roots level way to politic. I would recommend that more people run for office this way. Perhaps other unaffiliated voters who are thinking about running for office should try this way of running for office without catering to the BS of the Party Hacks. Perhaps we should all get together and help other unaffiliated voters who would make good candidates for elected office run their campaign this way. Gather the 2,544+ signatures and your name goes straight onto the November General Election Ballot. No questions asked and no favors owed. Except to the citizens of Cleveland County. Clifton Philbeck down at the Cleveland County Board of Elections will be helpful in explaining the Petition Process to unaffiliated candidates. Party Registered Candidates too, as they can also avoid the Party Primaries by going the Petition Process route. Of course the party hacks will not like this, but why should you care? They will not help independent minded candidates anyway. Democrats or Republicans!
Now, back to Clyde Ledbetter.
Mr. Ledbetter also reminded me of the dirty tricks pulled on him during his last run for political office. The misconstrued news reports and the “Party Hack” statements made on “Political Smackdown.” And, of course, the “Whispering Campaign” often used by the Cleveland County Good-ole-boys (and girls). I informed Mr. Ledbetter that I had searched public records related to a former female Cleveland County School teacher who liked the young boys. That I knew that CCS had covered-up the situation and in the process, they had retaliated against members of Mr. Ledbetter’s immediate family. That I had files and records from years before that showed lots of dirty politics were involved. And that I was just busting to get the story out to the people. Way before I ever met Mr. Clyde Ledbetter.
So, folks–stay tuned. The Commissioner’s race and the School Board races in 2020 will have record turnouts because it is also a Presidential Election year. Especially a President Donald Trump Re-election year!! I expect the incumbent commissioners and school board members will be run out of office by wide margins. Followed by the Election for Sheriff and District Attorney in 2022. And we will keep on telling it like it is!!!
