2 years ago
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The challenger actually drew these cartoons himself, but some call them so offensive the paper in Searcy won't print them.
Many of the cartoons poke fun at other community leaders, Chesapeake Gas company that's drilling in the Fayetteville Shale, and community institutions like the hospital and Harding University.
Incumbent County Judge Michael Lincoln says it's okay to poke fun at him, since he's running for public office, but it's not okay to target others.
Lincoln says, "It bothers me, even brought my son into it and his business. None of those people are running for county judge, I am. Go after me and leave everyone else alone."
The man responsible for the ads is challenger Dennis Gillam, a man who ran against Lincoln several years ago and lost. The ads have appeared in a couple of White County newspapers, including the Sun; but many say Searcy's Daily Citizen won't run them. Something Gillam isn't surprised by, calling it small town politics.
Gillam says, "We need to understand how politics are played here in White County and that's the only way to communicate to the public. It's just a cartoon. It just brings political humor, we're supposed to live well and laugh often."
The publisher there wouldn't return our phone calls inquiring about not running the cartoons.
A third man seeking the White County Judge's seat, Valentine Huffman, says he's been running a positive campaign and wants to be left out of the mess between the other two.
Huffman says, "It's not the kind of race people are looking for. They tell me they don't want mud slinging so I ain't doing mud slinging."
A Chesapeake Energy spokesman calls the company being included in the cartoons as regrettable. He says, "We would like to think that our contributions in White County have had a positive influence on the community and have been pleasing to most."
