Editorial: Lt. Gov. Dan Forest's careless rhetoric stretches truth, is a health hazard

Political candidates on the stump often offer dire warnings of what might happen if, or when, their opponents take office should they win the election.

But North Carolina’s lieutenant governor Republican Dan Forest, has taken that to new and disturbing levels in his gubernatorial campaign against Democratic incumbent Gov. Roy Cooper.

He’s engaged in fantasy, declaring that all downtown Raleigh has been destroyed.

Forest, in fact is none of those. He’s an architect.

What he REALLY is -- a politician with little regard for truth, facts, science, decency or the health and safety of those he serves.

Predicting a presidential candidate’s death. What kind of comment is that to make?

Looters and troublemakers deserve condemnation and prosecution. But what of the abuses by the police and systematic racism that the vast majority of protesters were appropriately and peacefully seeking to have addressed? Why won’t Forest talk about those legitimate concerns?

It is unfortunate enough during a typical campaign season to witness politicians irresponsibly stretching the truth. Should anyone tolerate candidates and leaders who embrace its wholesale abandonment?

Since entering office, President Trump has a daily average of a dozen false or misleading claims – one every two hours!

His repeated unfounded claims about absentee mail-in voting – blasted out earlier this month in Wilmington -- serve only to confuse and spread false-based suspicions about the efficacy of our election system. North Carolina is fortunate to have a sound system, led and staffed by competent and honest people, dedicated to making sure as many qualified voters as possible cast ballots. Further, that each of those properly cast ballots is fairly counted.

It is difficult and challenging even under the best of circumstances. The ability to do their job is even tougher when they are distracted and must refute phony statements and purposely misleading, illegal advice from the highest official in the land.

Dan Forest knows Joe Biden isn’t on death’s door. He knows downtown Raleigh wasn’t destroyed. And he knows there’s no credible science to support his dangerous claptrap against using masks.

His clueless, careless rhetoric on the hustings is telling voters one clear thing --- someone who doesn’t care about facts disqualifies themselves from leadership and certainly should not be governor.