Political spin is as old as politics itself. In recent years, though, as more and more money has been pumped into campaign advertising, spin has tended to overwhelm objective, factual sources of information citizens need to cast an informed vote.
Enter Project Vote Smart. Launched more than a decade ago, it stands as the most scrupulously nonpartisan and unbiased source of information on candidates for state and federal office. The leaders who inaugurated the project in 1992 spanned the political spectrum: former presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, former senators Barry Goldwater and George McGovern, and former House members Newt Gingrich and Geraldine Ferraro.
Currently, this valuable organization is attempting to collect data from candidates for Congress, state legislatures and governor, asking them to take real stands on issues crucial to their constituents. The data will be compiled and posted on the Project Vote Smart Web site, where voters can make quick, objective comparisons of candidates. Questionnaires were mailed to candidates late last month and are due back in early September.
We urge all candidates who receive this questionnaire, called the National Political Awareness Test, to complete it and return it by the deadline. While some political advisers warn candidates against taking specific issue stands for fear it could come back to haunt them later, we believe it’s an ethical requirement of running for public office. Voters deserve to know where candidates stand, and should check the Project Vote Smart Web site before casting their ballot to see whether candidates are being forthright or ducking important issues.
Beyond positions on issues, the Web site also includes information on how incumbent candidates have voted on key issues, how much money campaigns have raised and from what sources, biographical and contact information, and candidate ratings from a wide variety of interest groups.
A functional democracy depends on an informed electorate. Project Vote Smart is an impressive tool that, if used by candidates and voters, can give facts a fighting chance against all that spin.
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