Sarasota News Leader

06/07/2013

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OPINION 'DOUBLE, DOUBLE TOIL AND TROUBLE' EDITORIAL Europeans understandably are somewhat disdainful of American get-out-the-vote efforts, which normally employ a slogan along the lines of, "It doesn't matter who you vote for. Just vote." ing anarchy or the destruction of our capitalist system, we do have candidates who for various reasons — an ax to grind, slavish devotion to incompatible ideologies, intellectual deficiency or a struggle to maintain a firm grasp of reality — simply do not present good alternatives for voters seeking to fill public offices. And often candidates are not known well enough by voters, their idiosyncrasies not revealed until after those candidates have taken office. In European countries, the "lunatic fringe" of both the Left and Right extremes of the political spectrum, espousing views that range from obstructive to nihilistic, frequently fields candidates for elections. So it matters a great deal in those countries Joined by North Port Mayor Linda for whom a voter casts Yates, who was elected in November 2010, his or her ballot. Cheryl Cook and Rhonda DiFranco have While we do not have turned their city's government on end. fringe groups espous- One might argue such was the case with the recent additions to the North Port City Commission. Two new

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