It is too bad all local Republicans could not have attended a recent meeting of the Republican Executive Committee.

In response to member requests, local chairman Dean Black had brought William Stafford Jones to speak.

Before Jones spoke, Sheriff T.K. Waters gave a speech, “eating up the clock,” according to one person who was present.

Jones spoke, droning on for 50 minutes, much of it about his family.

In the relevant parts, he addressed his role in political campaigns.

He is merely a fund-raiser and creator of political action committees and plays no part in the message political consultants construct for campaigns, Jones said.

Jones is a former head of the Republican Party of Florida. He is connected to former mayor Lenny Curry and political consultants Tim Baker and Andrew Pantinakis. He has a long record of helping Republicans get elected.

Politics is rough, Jones said, according to those who were there.

That seemed to be his explanation for the way Republican candidates have been treated by other Republican candidates in recent elections, which is a growing complaint.

After Jones concluded, members attempted to ask questions but were cut off by Black, who said they had run out of time. Black did not return a call from Eye on Jacksonville.

The explanation Jones offered was not very satisfactory.

In recent elections, Republicans such as Emily Nunez, Mike Gay and Al Ferraro have taken a beating in primary races.

Even Democrats have sense enough not to brutally beat down their opponents in primary races.

When Republicans do that, they not only sully the candidates but they make those vilified easier targets for Democrats in general elections.

A party’s heavy firepower should be directed at the other party’s candidates. Even that should not include blatant lies and misrepresentations.

Politics might be rough, but it does not have to be a sewer.