I started my career in talk radio during the Clinton Administration. During that time, I had numerous Republican callers complaining about the dumbing down of America.

But over the years, the Republican leaders got smart and realized they could benefit from the dumbing down of America.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that all Republicans are dumb, far from it. I will say that the party works to appeal to the dumb ones to get votes, and the smart Republicans just go along for the ride.

Some Republican voters actually believed Mexico was going to pay to build a wall. Others thought that immigrants in Ohio were eating dogs and cats. And with absolutely no proof, some believe that there is rampant voter fraud.

Take the case of Republican candidate for Nebraska Secretary of State Scott Petersen. Now I don’t know Mr. Petersen personally, so I don’t know if some of his claims and policies are things that he actually believes, or if he’s playing to the same voters who believed Trump when he said he could reduce prescription drug prices by 3,000% or end the war in Ukraine in a day.

Mr. Petersen doesn’t seem to believe that our elections are safe and secure. Yet somehow, he won the primary. Does he think he was victorious with the help of thousands of illegal immigrants voting? Or is he like President Trump and believes that the elections he wins are the only ones that are safe and secure?

Mr. Petersen also thinks that mail-in ballots should be curtailed. Is he aware that that would hurt the rural voters in the state? Does he know there are 11 counties in Nebraska where you can’t vote in person? Eleven rural counties that have no physical polling place. And there are many more rural counties where the voters have to drive for miles to be able to cast a ballot. Does he want to take away the rural vote? Voters who tend to vote for more Republicans than Democrats?

That doesn’t seem very smart.

I took a look at Mr. Petersen’s Facebook page and saw where he has reposted claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election, claims that have been disproven time and time again.

But the Secretary of State does more than oversee elections. They also oversee business registrations and international relations. During an interview, Mr. Petersen said that he would defer international trade policies to the governor. Even though Nebraska law clearly states that the Secretary of State is the Chief Protocol Officer for International Relations. It says that the Secretary of State needs to coordinate with other state agencies, not be subservient to the governor.

I wonder if Mr. Petersen would have that same fealty to the governor if Lynne Walz were to be elected; I seriously doubt it.

In a previous column after the primary, I expressed doubts about the viability of Sarah Slattery, the Democratic nominee for Secretary of State. I didn’t know much about her then other than she was a small business owner and a chef.

Since then, I have had the opportunity to have a conversation with Ms. Slattery. I have learned that she is much more than that. I now believe that my doubts are unfounded.

I’m not naïve; I know it’s going to be an uphill battle to defeat the candidate that was able to upset the incumbent Secretary of State. But I know Ms. Slattery is out there climbing that hill. She is traveling the state talking to groups and building support. I’m starting to see some yard signs pop up.

People are seeing that we can’t have an election denier running our elections, or a man that’s unqualified or unwilling to handle foreign trade issues. There’s a sense of urgency and a renewed vitality in her campaign.

I’m appealing to the smart Republicans, the ones who know that a president can’t run for a third term. The ones who don’t believe that January 6th was a peaceful protest. The ones who know that elections are safe and secure even when a Republican loses. I’m appealing to the smart Republicans who complain about the dumbing down of America to stop supporting the decline.

Don’t vote for an election denier to run our elections. Don’t vote for Scott Petersen for Secretary of State. Be smart and vote for Sarah Slattery.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.