The yard sign.
Are we to believe that state Representative John DeBerry, who is having to run for re-election as an independent in House District 90 because he was removed from the Democratic party ballot, is now campaigning with large yard signs boasting his picture alongside that of Donald Trump?
Or that DeBerry legitimately belongs to something called “The Republican Club,” the heading of a handout flyer that includes his picture, along with those of bona fide GOP candidates, under this description: “Eliminate Public School Funding; Remove Woman’s Choices; No Masks Needed; Pro-Life; remove Voice of Protestors; Limit Healthcare; No Unions; Easy Access fo Guns; Voter Restrictions”?
Clearly, neither DeBerry nor the actual Republican candidates pictured along with him would publicly identify with the premises of such a handout. As for the yard sign, it is highly unlikely that voters in the ultra-Democratic District 90 would respond favorably to a candidate’s so blatantly coupling himself with Republican Trump.
The handout flyer.
Both these exhibits, in other words, are clearly attempts to mislead voters, or to suggest a common purpose linking DeBerry to official Republican Party purposes. (By contrast, the other side of the handout flyer, whose authorship is not claimed by any organization, pictures Democratic officials under the heading, “Vote Democrat Up and Down the Ballot.”)
To be sure, DeBerry was expunged from the Democratic ballot earlier this year by the state Democratic Committee because of his alleged affinity with Republican views on abortion and school vouchers. It is also true that DeBerry has incurred favorable mention at Republican rallies and has at least once addressed a Republican club during this campaign year. (In doing so, however, he did not identify with the GOP but merely made a pitch for his own candidacy. As he says, “I don’t have a party label. I have to make speeches where I’m invited to.”)
The reality is that negative advertising of one sort or another is unusually prevalent in this campaign year, and it is not the province of a single political party. DeBerry is opposed on the November 3rd ballot by Democratic nominee Torrey Harris.
flip side of the handout
