I’ve heard it said, and I’ve always believed, that if you want to know what someone will do tomorrow, find out what they did yesterday. Or put another way, the best predictor of what a person will do in the future, is to look at what they’ve done in the past.
It’s likely you also use this same philosophy for a host of choices. Your spouse demonstrated a track record before you married him or her. You purchase products based on your previous experience with them, or the recommendation of someone you trust. You look at someone’s resume to determine whether to hire them or not.
So shouldn’t we do the same when it comes to selecting a political candidate? The causes and elected officials a candidate has supported in the past, will likely reveal the causes and values they’ll support in the future. Or at the very minimum, their voting track record will reveal to us what they valued during the years they supported those causes and politicians.
In the race for Tennessee House District 30 there are two candidates on the Republican ticket. Long time, track record proven conservative Republican Jonathan Mason. And relative newcomer Esther Helton.
I’ve known Jonathan Mason for nearly a decade and he has a consistent track record of battling in the trenches for conservative campaigns and causes. He has committed his time, treasure and talent in support of conservative values. Jonathan’s track record reveals that he has always been an ardent supporter of life begins at conception (he received the endorsement of Tennessee Right to Life). But he’s much more than a single issue candidate as his track record also reveals his support for the 2nd Amendment, religious liberty, traditional marriage, fiscal conservatism, small business, private property rights, low taxes, minimizing regulations, and simplifying government.
In a nut shell, if Jonathan Mason were on trial for being a conservative, his conservative track record would be Exhibit One. His conservatism would be undeniable.
The other candidate in the race is Esther Helton. I’m sure she is a nice lady, mother, and grandmother. In a political race though, the track record that matters is one’s political track record. In that regard, Esther Helton, has a very troubling track record, if one is a conservative.
Over the last decade, Barack Obama personified everything that conservatives stand against. His values were the most radical of any President in US History: Pro-abortion (including partial birth abortion). Pro-Planned Parenthood. Pro-taxes. Anti-religious liberty. Pro-Government healthcare (Obamacare). Anti-2nd Amendment. Anti-free speech. Pro-IRS. Pro-Nancy Pelosi. Pro-Eric Holder. Pro-Hillary Clinton. Anti-traditional marriage. And so much more...
So what does this have to do with Esther Helton?
Esther Helton voted for Barack Obama... Twice. (Admittedly I was not in the voting booth with her, but Ms. Helton did vote on the Democrat ballots in 2008 and again in 2012 when Barack Obama was on the ballot. When Ms. Helton was asked specifically about whether she voted for Obama in a public forum, she responded, “Yes, I did but since then I have seen the light.”)
While track records reveal much about a person, they also inform us of their judgment. In the case of Jonathan Mason, he stood against the radical agenda of Barack Obama and for conservative values by seeking to elect conservative Republicans over the last decade.
Meanwhile, Esther Helton’s judgment reveals something quite different and troubling.
So, if conservative values matter to you, and if track records can help us predict the future, then Jonathan Mason is the clear conservative Republican choice for Tennessee House District 30.
Mark West
* * *
I don’t know Mr West but I certainly agree with him regarding Jonathan Mason.
I don’t know Mrs. Helton but I do know Mr. Mason.
For the last two decades I have heard the term RINO being used. As explained to me those are politicians who are Republican in name only. They seem to vote in Congress or the legislature more like a Democrat and less like a Republican. We wonder how that can be.
I think Mr West has revealed how that happens. If Mrs. Helton has for the last two presidential elections voted in the Democrat Primary and admitted voting for ex-President Obama and now offers herself as a Republican candidate for legislature, would it be a surprise if she votes in the legislature less like a Republican and more like a Democrat? We have decades of examples of broken promises by RINOS. I know what Jonathan Mason will do. His past record tells us he will be a conservative.
I am voting for Jonathan Mason for Tennessee State Representative, District 30. I hope you will also.
Ralph Miller
* * *
I agree with Mr. West letter supporting Mr. Jonathan Mason in the upcoming State Election. Ms. Helton seems to me to be the perfect example of a “RINO”.. Supporting Democrats when it is convenient and then changing to Republican when she has to. I do not know how she will vote in Nashville but I would guess it will be for her “handlers” to tell her what they expect. It will be interesting to see who her financial supporters are since she has spent so much money on Radio advertising and Massive amount of signs in recent weeks. Somebody has to pay for that…
Richard Elrod