Though we hate to do it, our philosophy is that we’d rather have our readers vote for the least offensive candidate in every election than have them vote blindly or not at all. In that spirit, we looked into endorsing in the Fifth District County Board of Supervisors election, coming up on Tuesday, June 6.

Unfortunately, both candidates for that seat, incumbent Bill Horn and former Assemblymember Bruce Thompson, are far from being candidates that we’d feel comfortable endorsing in any capacity. But there’s a funny story behind our looking into this race that we thought we’d share.

Here’s how it started: We already knew that Republican Horn has done nothing to help the environment or the HIV/AIDS and GLBT communities, to slow urban and corporate sprawl or to help small businesses and underprivileged communities throughout his time on the Board of Supervisors. Plus, Horn has a handbag full of blunders and questionable tactics that suggests he’s not even playing fair with the conservative interests he panders to. We thought Thompson might earn our check mark for offering an alternative to good ol’ boy Horn’s heavy-handed, arrogant stranglehold on the Fifth District.

A cursory glance through Thompson’s history in the state Assembly (R-Fallbrook) revealed that he, too, is not a moderate or a GLBT supporter by any stretch of the imagination. In 1996, Thompson called for the elimination of court-ordered state funding for abortion, and for deep cuts in the Office of Family Planning. And in 1999, he voted against Assembly Bill 222, which sought to ban gay bashing of students and school employees (the bill failed that year by one vote). “The war has begun,” Thompson said at the time. “This issue will divide this country and this state more than any other.”

Yuck.

Still, people can change, and Thompson’s campaign platform suggested there might be a human being under that suit and tie. For example, among the reasons he says he opposes placing a landfill in Gregory Canyon are because doing so would put Oceanside’s water supply at risk and the site falls near land deemed sacred by Native Americans. He also says he opposes any new development projects unless there is adequate infrastructure to accommodate the change and adequate community feedback on such proposals. He supports the idea of term limits for the board, and is concerned that the county’s pension fund is heading toward crisis.

All we needed at that point was his views on social issues such as medicinal marijuana and clean-needle exchange programs, as well same-sex marriage, civil unions and/or domestic partnerships, and HIV/AIDS funding. Because we already know where Horn stands on many of these issues (unsupportive) and his campaign office didn’t bother getting back to us when we contacted them directly about these issues, just a glimmer of support for one or two of these issues could have nudged us to say Thompson was the better guy.

But it turns out he isn’t. Thompson, who has spent much of his years since serving on the state Assembly stumping for President George W. Bush, is just as much of a pulseless neocon as Horn. Thompson’s campaign coordinator sent us this e-mail in response to our endorsement inquiry: “Mr. Thompson had a great working relationship with two colleagues of his that are still elected officials in Sacramento, Carol Migden and Sheila Kuehl. He enjoyed his friendship with both…. As to your desire to possibly endorse Mr. Thompson, it would probably not be helpful to his campaign in this highly conservative district. But if you or any others would like to help in our campaign they can log on to our Web site (www.electbruce.com) and volunteer their time or financially contribute.”

Wow. That’s just sleazy. Sure, Thompson will accept our financial support, but just as long as we meet him at the back door so no one else sees.

If Thompson’s campaign doesn’t want our endorsement because it makes him look bad, then we enthusiastically endorse Bruce Thompson for Fifth District Supervisor. Just don’t vote for him! At least Bill Horn is the devil we know.