marjorie says...
Lessons from the city elections, 2005:
- A million bucks can do a lot for winning elections, especially when your opponents struggle to raise even half of that.
- The public can be a little schizophrenic. On the one hand they elect a mayor who raised an unprecedented amount of money, far outpacing any of his rivals. On the other hand, they solidly backed the campaign finance bill that seeks to level the playing field.
- Half the voters really do care about the wellbeing of poor people. Unfortunately, the other half are stingy.
- The Chamber of Commerce pronouncements show that business truly has no soul. On the one hand they throw out tons of disinformation to defeat the bill, on the other they say they hope federal government will raise the minimum wage because it’s the right thing to do. So…yeah, business has no soul. I’ve always known that--it’s called capitalism. Hello. But I like that we have such a blatant example. So, please, will no one ever say to me again that their company is “so altruistic”, their boss gives the benefits he does because he “cares so much”, yada yada yada. No it isn’t and no he doesn’t…those are business decisions.
- Campaigns are dirty…even by those you like. The tone that the Alibi took against Diana Dorn Jones in its election endorsements was racist and paternalistic. I’d like to know how the Alibi can know that Ike Benton “would make a thoughtful, relaxed and diplomatic councilor, someone willing to listen to a variety of angles” while Diana Dorn Jones “seemed set in her ways and almost interested in arguing with people.” Perhaps it is the personal opinion of a staff member there. Regardless, there is a long history in this country that paints white men as the capable and rational people and everyone else as irrational with bad attitudes. It’s called racism and sexism and I would hope that the Alibi would not sink to that level. But they did.
So, anything else folks?
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