Cheating during political functions is well known in Democrat Politics at just about every level. Remember Democrat National Chairman Donna Brazile giving debate questions to Hillary Clinton in her primary race against Bernie Sanders in 2016? Well, Cleveland County just rolled out their version of campaign cheating at the Republican Commissioner’s Primary Election Race Candidate Forum held at Cleveland Community College on February 13, 2020.
This is how it went down:
During the Question and Answer part of the forum, Moderators Mike Philbeck and Wes Westmoreland would ask questions, supposedly question unknown to the candidates and each candidate would have a very short amount of time to answer the complex questions. As I was sitting in my usual location, second row-center stage, I marveled at how the incumbent commissioners Johnny Hutchins and Ronnie Whetstine regularly rattled off numbers and statistics in such a great detail. Often, between my looking at the stage and looking down at my note pad, I noticed the incumbents, more than the others seemed to be reading off some sheets of paper that they had brought on the stage with them. One challenging candidate even made the comment that the incumbents seemed to have information that the challenging candidates did not have.
Then, after the forum was over, I overhead several comments that Hutchins and Whetstine had “cheat sheets” on the stage with them with facts and figures. All produced on Cleveland County Letterhead stationery. NOT scribbled-down notes on scraps of paper that a challenging candidate might use as a reminder.
On my way home, I thought there had to be a connection between the complex questions and the complex answers Hutchins and Whetstine were giving. I also came to realize that there are hundreds of pages of statistics, accounting, financial and planning that the incumbent commissioners would have access to. But that would be impractical, carrying around many books of information that each question demanded would have run the candidate out of time looking up the data for every question. No, the incumbent Commissioners Johnny Hutchins and Ronnie Whetstine had to have their “cheat sheets” custom made to fit the right information for every question. And nothing extra.
Meaning, the Commissioner’s Cheat Sheets were custom tailored and made by county employees on county time and using county resources. All under the direction of County Manager Brian Epley who is himself under the Direction of the incumbent County Commissioners.
Also, understand that the Community College Forum questions were developed by Cleveland Community College, the Cleveland County Chamber and the Shelby Star. All with substantial financial links to the Cleveland County Commissioners. It would take a fool to believe that such a means of “hanky-panky” as sharing the forum questions with favored incumbents is not done on some sort of regular basis. That has been the rumor for years.
But folks, don’t believe me. Go to http://www.c19.tv/ and see the forum for yourself.
Then, like me, you have to wonder; how can I vote for an incumbent candidate that cheats? My advice is, don’t. Vote as follows: Robbie Morgan, Tommy McNeilly and Dennis Davis.
Please find below a marked-up replica ballot for the 2020 Primary Election for Republican County Commissioner candidates.
2020 Republican Primary Elections for County Commissioner
Sample Ballot
Note: You can print off this page and take it to the Voting booth with you.
Nobody has the authority to take this voting guide away from you. Inside the polling place or outside.
You also have my permission to copy this page and pass the copies around as voting guides for your friends, neighbors and relatives.
Thank you for voting.
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