Anger is not enough

Monday, Nov. 1, 2010 | 2 a.m.

Before casting ballots Tuesday, voters should set aside their anger and soberly consider the consequences of tomorrow’s election because the stakes are great. The state is facing a budget deficit of $3 billion, the nation is mired in a slumping economy, and people still need help.

There is no doubt that people are angry at the circumstances, but all the vitriol brewed up by the Tea Party has directed the bile at incumbents — whether they deserve blame or not. Before they rush to throw the bums out, voters should consider all the facts and the consequences of their votes.

The most-watched race — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s re-election bid — is a perfect example. Conservatives outside of Nevada, fueled by special-interest money, have made Reid a scapegoat for the nation’s troubles — never mind that the economy was led into recession by a Republican administration. The scorched-earth campaign has overshadowed the facts, including all the good that Reid has done over the years. As the majority leader, Reid has more clout in Washington than any Nevadan ever has — and he has used it to bring millions of dollars to the state, creating jobs. He has also brought Nevada prominence in national politics and stopped policies and actions that would hurt the state, such as making it a nuclear waste dumping ground.

His Republican opponent, Sharron Angle, has shown she doesn’t have a grasp of the issues and a rigid adherence to a blind ideology that has little concern for the needs of Nevadans. She has focused her campaign on smearing Reid and tried to hide her extremist views, even denying what she has clearly said, such as saying that she wants to phase out Social Security and Medicare.

Angle and her campaign have made a habit of refusing to answer legitimate questions, and when confronted by TV reporters last week, Angle wouldn’t talk about several national issues. Instead, she said she would answer “when” she becomes a senator.

Talk about arrogance. Voters deserve to know her views before casting a ballot. It’s also further evidence of why people should be wary of simply voting against anyone. In this case, it would mean dumping a proven leader to put Angle in the Senate, where she would languish as a backbencher. That’s why many of the state’s most prominent Republicans have endorsed Reid.

Unfortunately, the anger injected into the election this year has made some people blind to the big picture and allowed candidates such as Angle to hide. Anger isn’t enough. It will take ideas and skill to bring the change needed, and Nevadans want to know what candidates really stand for — not just what they’re against.

Too many candidates have refused to engage voters to discuss their ideas. In the governor’s race, for example, Brian Sandoval has refused to offer specific plans to help the state through this economic crisis. He has offered only meaningless generalities, saying that he is studying the issue. In contrast, his opponent, Democrat Rory Reid, has done an impressive job of producing several plans, putting his ideas on paper for the public to see, but it’s difficult to have a debate over ideas when only one side offers any.

Tuesday’s election offers a large ballot, and Nevada needs strong leaders throughout the state. On Sunday we ran our complete list of endorsements. They can be found here.

Voters should be looking for candidates who have the appropriate knowledge, experience and vision to serve in office. They should also beware of those candidates trumpeting an allegiance to unthinking ideologies, like many of those people under the influence of the dogmatic Tea Party movement.

The state and the nation need candidates who are willing to find ways to work together to find solutions. But don’t expect that if voters take to the polls wound up in their anger.

Don’t vote angry — vote wisely.