It’s nice to know that Jim Thomas and friends read the Daily Nexus.

Thomas started running campaign advertisements last week to swing more votes in the upcoming recall election.

The ad pulls two quotes from a Daily Nexus staff editorial published on Friday, May 4, 2001. The editorial was critical of the way Gail Marshall voted to exclude Isla Vista from the Goleta Now! cityhood proposal.

The quotes “She shelled us” and “We’ve been had.” appear as our front-page banner flies at the top of the screen. Jim then lumbers around, ogre style, after a bunch of delicious looking children. It’s cute enough to make you wretch.

Remarkably, the quotes appeared in pretty white text instead of scribbled in red crayon.

Thomas’ use of our staff editorial is just another smarmy, childish move in the game of campaign politics. This time, he’s targeting the same population of students that he originally wanted to keep from the polls in the first place.

The summer election never happened. Thomas was unable to effectively prevent Marshall’s large UCSB constituency from voting in a recall campaign. This new advertisement shows how little respect Thomas holds for the average student’s intelligence. By using the Daily Nexus, a familiar marker to the majority of people in I.V. and at UCSB, Thomas now wants those he’s never supported to vote, and vote for him.

The Nexus published the editorial, making it fair game for anyone who wants to quote it and attribute it properly, and the Nexus still stands by its opinion. Marshall turned her back on I.V. during the cityhood vote for the sake of her own career. The editorial was in no way, however, a dismissal of all the good things she has done for our community.

Students should not allow politicians to sucker them into cheap ploys and colorful displays. Thomas committed a tactless act with his advertisement and we can’t let Marshall off the hook either.

Her slipshod piece of propaganda, the Isla Vista Free Press, is a low move to distract students from her mistakes and rake in the votes from uninformed I.V. residents.

Students need to take the time to learn what the recall election is about and who they truly want to vote for without the aid of sneaky rags and sappy eye-candy. If you consider I.V. your home, then by all means vote. If you don’t care about our little town, then vote in the place where you like to hang your hat.

Thank you Jim Thomas and friends. It’s a wonderful honor that you’ve bestowed upon us here at the Nexus. Just remember that next time, there is such a thing called context.