I am not opposed to negative campaigning. Voters should know the good and bad about candidates and ballot initiatives.

Having worked on several political campaigns, I've noticed that Republican candidates are more hesitant to use negative information than their Democratic opponents. Some Republicans would rather lose an election than inform voters about character flaws in their opponent because of moral guilt.

As long as the information is accurate, there is nothing wrong with telling voters the facts. Voters can decide for themselves if the information is credible and a deciding factor when choosing which candidates to support.

Voters should know more about one of the candidates for mayor of Springfield. Sandra Queen Noble cursed City Clerk Brenda Cirtin after Cirtin refused to add the title "phd" at the end of her name on the ballot.

Noble doesn't have any college degrees, let alone a doctorate. Since her nickname is "poor hungry dangerous," Noble wanted the ballot to include the phd initials.

Noble left City Hall after police escorted her out of the building. The media can't reach her because she doesn't have a telephone.

I'm sure some liberals will feel sorry for Noble due to her poverty. They may be tempted to vote for her out of guilt because of her ethnicity. What's the harm in letting her be creative with her name?

Candidates for office do not have the right to use fake names on the ballot. Even if you legally change your name to "Ima Fool," you have to use your birth name on the ballot.

With low voter turnout expected in the February primary, Noble could win enough votes to secure a spot on the April general election ballot. Springfield voters would be forced to choose the other candidate just to avoid the awful media attention that would be heaped on our city if we elected Noble.

While this information is negative, it would be irresponsible of me to not inform voters about this candidate. As the election gets closer, candidates and the media should not shy away from telling the truth about Noble.

What voters don't want to hear is false negative campaign information. Outright lies are often a sign of desperation in the waning days of a campaign.

Voters in the 136th district received two postcards from a Democratic Party slush fund, Missouri Alliance for Better Government, attacking Republican candidate Eric Burlison the weekend before the election. Using twisted logic, Burlison was accused of voting against legislation before winning his first election.

The hit pieces claimed that Burlison supported pay raises for state lawmakers and opposed additional funding for veterans centers because he accepted money from other Republican lawmakers who had voted in this manner. Using this logic, Burlison hates vegetables if he accepts campaign donations from a butcher.

The salary increase wasn't just for lawmakers. Judges and other state employees benefited from the raise, which was recommended by the Missouri Citizens' Commission on Compensation for Elected Officials.

State sales taxes would have increased to pay for the additional funding for veterans. Had Missouri Republicans supported the measure, Democrats would have accused them of raising taxes. It was nothing more than a ploy to trap Republicans.

The false attack pieces failed to fool voters. Burlison won by 3,000 votes, burying his opponent in a 58 to 42 percent landslide.

Even more disturbing is the campaign tactics used by pro-gay marriage forces in California to defeat Proposition 8, a proposed state constitution amendment defining marriage only between one man and one woman. Gay rights groups ran negative television ads directed at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the biggest contributor of money and volunteers for Prop 8.

In one ad, fake LDS missionaries ransack a California home. The voice-over announcer warns voters against out-of-state religious groups taking away their rights, even though the LDS church has more than a million members living in California.

The anti-Mormon bigotry didn't end with the election. Unhappy with the results, homosexual activists protested church temple weddings, hoping to spoil happy moments for LDS newlyweds.

Negative campaigning has existed since the beginning of American elections. Conservatives should not shy away from using it as long as the information is reliable and relevant.

I trust the voters to be smart enough to see through untrue manipulations of facts and emotions.

Ryan Cooper lives in Springfield. "From the Right" appears every Tuesday. Coming Wednesday: "From the Left." Cooper worked during the recent election to have Eric Burlison elected.