The Crone Speaks

Not content with firing off this ugly piece, the Commercial Appeal's Susan Adler Thorp continues her vitriolic attacks against Republican mayoral candidate George Flinn with another volley.

Adler makes a great fuss about Flinn's supposed reluctance to appear publicly, seeming to avoid debates. Unfortunately, on the very next page [in fact, right behind her column!], the CA runs a story about his talk with a local Rotary Club. She lambasts Flinn for dropping out of a mayoral debate, when he's already rescheduled another one!

She writes:

No need to let the public know what [his handlers] know: Flinn doesn't
have the foggiest idea how county government operates.

Instead of talking with reporters, answering questions or
participating in a series of conventional debates, Flinn and his
campaign team are buying nearly $250,000 worth of television
advertising before Election Day. If they can't control interviews
and debates, they'll control the TV airwaves to persuade voters
that their candidate is the best man for the county's top job.

Because, as we all know, reporters are unbiased and fair, and only bad guys and Republicans have handlers. And woe betide the handler who snubs a columnist.

She goes to great lengths detailing how the county mayor actually his little control over the problems facing the county, belittling Flinn's campaign comments in the process. Then she writes:

In fairness, if I were advising Flinn, I'd be afraid to let him tackle
a question about county government without trying to program
him ahead of time. He's lousy on the stump, particularly compared
to Wharton, a skilled debater who has made a successful living in
the courtroom.

See? Flinn is a dummy; Wharton is "skilled...successful."

And Wharton knows the issues from personal and professional
experience. He understands the need for quality education and proper
school funding. He deals with the challenge of providing health care
to those who can't affort it. He understands the problems plaguing
the criminal justice system and the jail.

Say, wait a minute. Didn't she just belittle Flinn for claiming to want to do something about those very things?

[Flinn's] handlers had a problem. What do they do with a candidate
who promises to improve education, but hasn't seemed to grasp
the fact that the county mayor has little to do with education, other
than to encourage the county commission to probide more money
for schools?

What do they do with a candidate who wants to curb crime, but
doesn't seem to know that law enforcement essentially is the
sheriff's job?

No wonder he doesn't want to talk to her! If she's going to twist her own words, what chance does he have?

Somehow, too, the reporters at the CA have reached the conclusion that purchasing lots of TV ads is "buying" votes, even though the money will end up in the hands of the very same media giants who own the newspapers and not in the hands of voters themselves. How this is "buying" votes is a stretch only they seem to understand.

In avoiding the daily paper and taking his message directly to the people, Flinn seems to have made a wise choice.

Until next time, that is all.