Letter to the Editor

Letter

I sent this letter to the editors at the Knoxville News Sentinel on August 7, 2012. Unfortunately, they decided not to include my letter in their paper or on their web site. I felt that the voters of District 2 should see any letters that I send to the media, so please feel free to read further:

Brandon Stewart
Knoxville, TN
www.brandonforcongress.com
Brandon@brandonforcongress.com

Letter: Duncan endorsement concern

Dear Editor,

I am concerned as a citizen of the 2nd district regarding your primary endorsement of Congressman Duncan. He may well have been the best choice of the 3 republican candidates in the 2nd district, but the reasoning you gave in your endorsement was not enough for me to justify a vote for him in the primary.

You said: "In the 2nd District, which centers on Knox County, U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan Jr. has served since 1988. Duncan is a well-read, thoughtful conservative stalwart, but he cements his hold on the seat through constituent services, regardless of party affiliation."

Part of John Duncan's role as a congressman is constituent services, regardless of his party affiliation. I find it hard to imagine that you endorsed him with a clear conscious just because he does 1 facet of his job well. What about the issues? What about laws he has helped create and pass? What has John Duncan done for the 2nd district of TN?

There are a good number of educated candidates running for office, as well. So, what reasoning is there to vote for Duncan other than his long tenure in office? What has he done during his last term, not his 20+ full years, which gives reason to him being endorsed and re-elected in this coming term?

Endorsing the best candidate is a great service you give to your readers, and I support that effort. However, I would greatly appreciate if you can give more reasoning to your decision so the readers of your newspaper (including myself) can make educated decisions at the polls.

Source