The temperatures were climbing toward 102 degrees by late morning on Wednesday in Manteca.

Dave Breitenbucher was wearing shorts and a polo shirt at a City of Manteca event.

Nothing new about the temperatures exceeding 100 degrees in Manteca during September or Councilman Breitenbucher opting to wear shorts to a public event in his role as a councilman

The retired Manteca Fire captain has been appearing at council meetings and such in shorts — especially when it is hot — since first getting elected in 2018.

No one has even hinted on social media that it somehow makes him unfit to represent his district which is about as old school Manteca that you can get as it encompasses most of the city limits in place in the 1970s.

But that has changed in this election cycle when social media hyenas use anything as fodder except an honest exchange of ideas on issues to attack candidates.

Does it matter if Mayor Gary Singh’s record includes things such as securing 11 police officers and nine firefighters in the past four years or being the architect of the effort that brought Manteca its largest state grant ever — $16 million to avoid local taxpayers from footing the bill for the homeless navigation center?

Apparently not given the slime trails left by a small infestation of slugs on the Internet preferring to engage in the lazy and sophomoric act of bullying they justify as sophomoric humor.

What matters to them is spreading vicious exaggerated attacks such as the mayor is fat or the buttons on his shirt are popping.

And — according to the fantasy world of an underbelly of social media that refuses to learn information that doesn’t fit their myopic view of the world — Singh either personally owns, or has relatives that do, apparently half of Manteca’s businesses.

Google “Singh” and “Kaur.” Look for general references for both.

Wikipedia, in this case, explains both names and why they are heavily used as first, middle, surnames, or title in various religions and/or cultures, especially those who are Sikhs.

“Singh” means “lion” and is used by men. It’s seemingly near universal usage among Sikhs stems in a large part from a desire to reject all caste-based prejudice.

“Kaur” means “princess” or “lioness” and is used by women in a bid to eliminate caste-based prejudice as well.

Simply having a name — and by extension a skin tone and religious beliefs — that don’t fall in line with their own little part of the world supposedly renders Singh unfit for office regardless of his accomplishments.

For the record, Singh is a product of Manteca Unified schools and has lived in Manteca a lot longer than some of his harshest detractors — that when they run out of political ammo — suggest he go back to where he came from.

If that is the “ultimate solution,” then more than a few of his detractors who know the way to San Jose given they are among the many who moved to Manteca in the late 1970s through 1990s from the Bay Area might follow their sage advice, sell their homes, load up the U-Haul, and head west over the Altamont Pass.

Now the self-anointed sages of social media are aiming at what candidate wear.

The barb hurled at Breitenbucher that somehow his wearing shorts makes him unfit for office should be seen for what it really is. Their arguments, with a thousand pardons to Hans Christian Anderson, are a twisted take off on the moral tale “The Emperor Has No Clothes.”

They have no reality-based argument to hound Breitenbucher so they weave a fantasy clothing indiscretion.

The fact Breitenbucher is comfortable with — and/or has the common sense — to opt to wear shorts on a 102-degree day doesn’t make him unfit for office.

If it is such a major character flaw, how did he avoid having an agent of the fashion police on the ballot in the 2022 election when he ran unopposed for re-election?

There are legitimate viewpoints to oppose the re-election of Breitenbucher — or anyone for that matter — as long as you truly embrace those viewpoints.

But hurling the proverbial sink at candidates because you apparently have dripping disdain for their physical appearance, their father’s stellar work ethic, the clothes their wear, or the fact they have a solid social media following without having to create a viper pit of innuendos, character assassination, and fabricating outright lies speaks volumes about where one is coming from.

That said, Councilman Mike Morowit who is also a big fan of comfort in the throes of a Manteca heat wave as he has been spotted more than a few times at city events wearing shorts, must be feeling left out.

But then there are more than a few pictures of him floating around dressed as if he is auditioning to be an older GQ model in a suit.

If clothes are what drives Manteca voters, then instead of working to land Trader Joe’s or restaurants the council needs to make securing a Brooks Brothers, or at least a Men’s Wearhouse, a high priority.