Last night I opened my mail to find FOUR pamphlets (there are only two of us who live here) from Dean Kallenbach once again trying to hang the prostitution issue on Dean Zimmermann's head (and misspelling Zimmermann's name.) This reminds me of an old trick that Lyndon Johnson was rumored to have used against an opponent in Texas. Johnson wanted to accuse an opponant of bestiality, and when he was told that he couldn't truthfully do so, his words were, " I know, but let's make him publicly deny it."
The Kallenbach uses the Johnson tactic by saying in slandering Zimmermann in big red letters, but then more disturbingly switches to Nixonesque language. The piece goes on to say that Kallenbach will require "minute-by-minute" attention to areas "hard hit by crime...etc," more police on the street and pretty much campaigns in Richard Nixon's "Law and Order" tone of voice from 1968. Gone from Kallenbach's literature are the promises to confront racial profiling, police brutality or deal with the affordable housing crisis. This piece simply has a "tough on crime" message. I suppose, now that I'm no longer constantly hammering on the police harassment issue in this race, the people who right Kallenbach's literature (presumably Jim Graham and others) feel that they no longer have to pretend to be concerned about our civil liberties. I was born three years before Richard Nixon resigned as president, but I've heard many historians say that Nixon played on people's fears of crime and disorder, and was able to use this for his own political advantage, which was simply power. I'll say that I'm a little suprised when I read lit pieces like this, because Dean Kallenbach seems like a nice person when you meet him. He doesn't strike me as the power hungry type, but the people around him exude power-hungry-ness. During the Sixth Ward primary, some people in my campaign staff urged my to get really negative in my campaigning. Laverne (my campaign manager) and I believed and continue to believe that before telling the voters why the opponent is such a horrible choice, a candidate should first put out their vision and show that this vision is a better way for the community. I was told, "we're living in the age of Nixon, and people pay attention to the politics of personal destruction." Presumably, Kallenbach (or his people) has decided on the Nixon model. I also ran against Dean Zimmermann, as well as Barb and Jonathan. All of us, with the exeption of Kallenbach fequently acknowleged the experience and views of our opponents with respect. During the primary, Kallenbach seemed to stumble trying to find a message or a vision. Now, in the final weeks, Kallenbach has also resorted to the politics of personal destruction. Richard Nixon left the political world in 1974. I urge all Sixth Ward voters to send Dean Zimmermann, who has run a positive campaign based on issues, to City Hall and let Richard Nixon rest in peace. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Find a job, post your resume. http://careers.yahoo.com _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
