Note to Tribune Editorial Board: Lighten up on SLO County Republicans

I recently had the opportunity to talk to Mr. Tommy Gong, our outgoing SLO County Clerk-Recorder, about his planned exit.

You’ve no doubt read that Mr. Gong has just accepted a similar position in the Bay Area, “nearer my parents and family,” he told me. We talked a bit about the conflagrations surrounding discussions of voting regulations and The Tribune’s ongoing castigation of the three conservative members of the SLO County Supervisors, and the county Republicans in general, for “trying to steal future elections.”

“I suspect you never thought you’d be caught in this sandbox level of hysteria, did you?” I asked. Mr. Gong, true to his oath of nonpartisanship, laughed a while and told me, “No, I did not.”

The Tribune Editorial Board ran, by my count, the fifth editorial on the general theme of “Local Republican Party is trying to suppress the vote in SLO County” within two months.

This could be deemed by some to be a show of support for HR-1 now before the U.S. Senate which would, in short, federalize voting across America and destroy the Constitution’s balance of federal and state powers in the area of voting. Historically, the states held sway over the regulation of elections and HR-1’s 886 pages would overturn over 200 years of accepted practice.

Let us remember that it is only recently that the myth of “voter suppression” caught the fancy of the Democratic Party, starting with the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial race where Stacey Abrams lost amid ongoing allegations that the race was fixed by the Republican winner, Brian Kemp. Since then, Ms. Abrams continues to claim victory despite court rulings to the contrary.

President Donald Trump holds similar views over his loss in the national 2020 election, also not supported by any court where Mr. Trump filed objections.

In my view, neither of these two politicians has demonstrated sufficient evidence of widespread voter suppression nor mishandling of ballots and the country would be better off if both accepted the will of the people and stood aside.

For a gracious example of how to lose, visit on YouTube, Al Gore’s 2000 concession speech. As fine an example of “country above politics” as one can find.

Allow me to circle back to The Trib’s ongoing castigation of any and all Republicans when they bring up consideration of voting rules. Frankly, The Tribune Editorial Board has become obsessed with offering its readers a never-ending showcase of Republican efforts to cast “doubt on the integrity of the local election.”

Here’s another view. Yes, many conservatives, including myself, would like to see a return to in-person voting. Why? The gold standard of voting is based upon our election administrators knowing, with certainty, who is voting and ensuring no one can influence that vote. Mail-in ballots increase uncertainty. We are unsure who will receive any given ballot; we don’t know who filled it out. Signatures are difficult to verify and partisan “ballot harvesters” have opportunity to not turn in ballots. It’s happened.

The claim that voter fraud seldom occurs, is also not true. Yes, the days of wholesale city or countywide vote rigging are hopefully behind us. yet the Heritage Foundation’s Election Fraud Database well establishes that the retail level of deceit during elections is alive and well.

ID should be required for both registration and voting. If the local bar, doctors, hospitals, labs, airports, car rental, the DMV, banks, our local library can demand ID and it is required for the purchase of firearms, why not for voting?

Another canard The Trib claims can be attributed to the local GOP is “a radio ad that assaults the integrity of” Tommy Gong. Nope. The radio ad in question was not bought by nor approved by the county Republican party, attested to me by the head of the party in SLO County, Randall Jordan.

It is time for our county’s “paper of record” to stop its mission to tarnish all things Republican with the claim that our local branch is attempting to “undermine American voting rights.” Not true.

To The Trib’s Editorial Board: I get that you are partisan, as am I.

So let us recall the words of Bertrand Russell, “The problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are so certain of themselves yet wiser people are full of doubts.”

Let’s accept more doubt. Embrace more uncertainty. A broader, less partisan discussion will assist us all in the months to come.

One final note: If you work for a government agency, a nonprofit or private-sector company that has a program pertaining to diversity, equity and inclusion and/or Critical Race Theory, I’d like to talk to you for background information. Please email dgmullin1@outlook.com with your name and phone number.

Gordon Mullin is a SLO High grad and has a degree in economics from the University of British Columbia. Among the 40 or so jobs he’s held in his life — including longshoreman, banker, political organizer, carpenter, ad rep, investment planner — he claims taxi driver best fits his character.

This story was originally published June 13, 2021 at 7:00 AM.