The pundits have been remarking on how nice and polite the race for City Council At-Large has been, but yesterday the attack ads hit the radio.
We also got a mailer from the “City Council Integrity Committee.” (Looks like Varg got it too.) It’s allegedly humorous theme is “Mission: Impossible.” The facts are attributed to LouisianaTruth.com, a site about which Google knows nothing. Strange.
View the front of the mailer, the back, and here’s the inside:
This text kind of jumped out at me:
If they succeed in electing HER At-Large,
they will elect her replacement next!
Interesting use of the third person plural. I wonder who “they” are. At first, I thought this was some kind of racial language. But on second glance I think it’s an inept attempt to refer to the politicians pictured at the bottom. I also wonder who the “City Council Integrity Committee” is. Any theories?
Update: My friend Paul in Indiana did the research I was too lazy to do. Here’s what he sent me via e-mail:
This is like the FEMA fake press conference — attribute stories to a site you’ve just made up and filled with your own text as “research”. The site is registered through Godaddy with Updated Date: 14-nov-2007 Creation Date: 04-sep-2007. The registration went through Domains by Proxy which is a domain ownership concealing agency.
They’re trying to be manipulative and clever, but are merely achieving ham-handed disengenousness. Probably because they were in a hurry to spread deception.
Update: Apparently this isn’t the only questionable mailer floating around. See We Could Be Famous.
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“They” are the people that are not “you” or “us” “They” are not like you. “They” don’t like “you”. “They” are scary and evil. “They” and their cousin “them” are out to get “You” and your cousin “us’…
Like the old Sherman Copelin mayoral campaign sign. “Fighting them for us” The implication was, since Sherman was the rep from the 9th ward and black. that he was fighting white people from uptown. Now that Sherman has discovered he lives in Eastover and not the 9th Ward, he’s on a crusade against Section 8 apartments in New Orleans East. Which begs the question who’s “them” now.. and who is “us’.
Before someone else quotes Walt Kelly, who didn’t use “they”, he used “he”. It was 1952 after all.
There is no need to sally forth, for it remains true that those things which make us human are, curiously enough, always close at hand. Resolve then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving and tinny blast on tiny trumpets, we shall meet the enemy, and not only may he be ours, he may be us.
It’s sleazy that they used a proxy, but do you disagree with any of this? All it takes is an endorsement from Nagin to get me to back the other side.
Do I disagree with the facts cited? No, I don’t think so.
I was pretty angry when I read that line the first time. I interpreted it to mean, “If [the blacks] succeed in electing HER At-Large, [the blacks] will elect her replacement next!”
In the cold light of morning, I’m not certain that was the intended message. But if I read it that way, so will others.
Editor B
Agreed. They, they, they. The others. There are plenty of people who are going to feel the sting of racism with at the they.
I’d say it might backfire, but I’m finding that the negative campaigning is scary effective.
Concerned, I too looked up more info. 300 Lafayette St, Suite 101 is listed as Attorney Greg P. Dileo. Thanks for your post and highlighting this mailer. If you email me I will forward email I got from a local org claiming the opportunity for the first time in DECADES to vote for reform, barely cloaking between the lines significance for a white majority. I also was alarmed at the swipes at BOLD and SOUL. Thanks again.
Why do we impute race into a statement which could equally mean “the ruling clique”?
I personally don’t care what the complexion of our elected officials is if that perform their duties properly.
We live in a city with a political class which seems bereft of any sense of propriety or shame. The recent bribe necessary to get Eddie Jordan to leave office is only the most recent example.
This attitude is not unique to recent politicians but stretches back generations.
So, I voted in this election today and I’m pretty nauseous about it. I found a whole new strategic (and bad) reason for choosing one of these bad choices over the other and it’s not good.
Actually it is pretty slick. And racist and insulting [for whites & African Americans] in our city. It preys on the fears of both groups of voters by using a vauge “They” and droping just enough names to stir up both groups of voters. I’m really sick of such hate stiring dogshit wandering through our mail. I used mine to scop up dog shit in fact when Julie & I steped out to walk her parents dog today. Made a point of doing it just for the sake of it. Sort of like the jackasses who thought mailing that out was a good idea. So thank you to what ever idiot mailed it out so I could save a plastic baggie.
This flyer was created by Dominic Varrecchio, the same guy that orchistrated the anti-Cheryl Gray flyer to try to get Jalila into office. It only has a handful of contributors, among them Keith Hardie Jr. (of anybody but batt fame), Brian Fitzpatrick (of City Hall crime camera fame), James Cobb (of getting the Manganos off fame), and Tammany Mall LLC and Riecke & Associates (of I will donate from two companies owned by the same person to get around the contribution limit fame).
Is there anyway we could get some citations on this? I’d like to be able to trace these faster the next time the show up AND be able to show my work. How did you come across the source, or was it a tip off?
Everything is here. Were you responsible for Varrechhio’s Clerk of Criminal Court website? Are you behind LouisianaTruth.com?
http://www.ethics.state.la.us/cgi-bin/la98/forms/PAC990160/13718/203A
Yes. No.