No one wants to believe the hate-and-swiftboat effect works, particularly here in Eureka Springs. The problem is, it works or I wouldn’t be writing any of this.
The Hate-and-Swiftboat Mailing
The week before the election, Jack Moyer, Marty Roenigk, and Randy Wolfenbarger sent out a hate-and-swiftboat mailing.
They distorted the taxi-limo issue beyond recognition.
They lodged a totally unnecessary and mean-spirited sidewinder of a comment directed against the Council members who disagreed with them on the taxi-limo issue.
They supported judicial candidate Alan Epley over Kent Crow because Crow had written the taxi-limo ordinance as a lawyer, which had nothing to do with his work as a judge.
The logic of that last step is not ours.
It is the logic of three men who erupt time and again, to try to control what happens here. So confident have they become of the hate-and-swiftboat effect in Eureka, they felt comfortable once again in proclaiming their arrogant posture publicly. They had been quiet for a while, what with Moyer’s handlers reigning him in.
Roenigk, who used to be thought of as the soft-spoken nice guy, at long last has come out under the tutelage of chief henchman Moyer. Wolfenbarger has shown us once again a piece of the dishonesty that was cause for him to resign back when he was Mayor.
As I said, the problem with the mailing is that it worked. It did not, as so many people have said, backfire. It shot right into the opposition, and the hit was hard.
Crow Lost in Eureka Springs
Contrary to what many people believe, Crow lost in Eureka Springs. His victory was not based on the vote from Eureka, but from other parts of Carroll County.
Here is the Eureka Springs tally for Epley and Crow:
Ward 1
Epley 105
Crow 44
Ward 2
Epley 83
Crow 73
Ward 3
Epley 123
Crow 66
The Taxi-Limo Referendum Was not about a Monopoly
The taxi-limo referendum lost because of a campaign that was untrue to its core, saying that passing the ordinance would give David “Fuzzy” White a “monopoly.” Never mind that White already had a franchise, and that a franchise is not a monopoly. A franchise is a business supported by a city to maintain a service that would otherwise not be able to maintain itself– as with the city’s franchise with the cable and electric companies.
Whatever, the misinformation promulgated by the hate-and-swiftboat mailing fed into a frenzy against monopolies.
It’s not Just the Hate-and-Swiftboat
Don’t get us wrong. The hate-and-swiftboat mailing is not the only thing that made the elections what they were.
Fear was the mainstay that led to the downfall of the demolition by neglect referendum. Given that the Historic District Commission (HDC) had final jurisdiction (short of the time, expense, and impossible solution for the poor, to go to court), we ourselves only hesitantly supported the referendum. We were concerned about unwarranted action from HDC, particularly since the untrustworthy Building Inspector was to have such a big part of the action– and she has shown herself to be more or less aligned with the “Pretty Police” than with enforcing codes. So fear did have an effect at least on demo by neglect, and probably in the judicial race.
Favorite son status no doubt brought more votes to the candidate from Eureka, Alan Epley, than to the Berryville boy, Kent Crow. –If, that is, the larger part of the people voting knew Epley was the boy from Eureka.
The media also played its part in failing to challenge the misinformation being given out on the taxi- limo ordinance. To fail to speak out is something many Eurekans have criticized the national media for on Bush. What exempts the local media from getting a handle on our issues?
That the media failed to challenge Judge Epley’s failure to recuse until after the election is a second complicity, particularly since Epley failed to act for over a month after the request for him to do so. What exempts the local media from finding out and reporting on what is happening?
The rabid voter phenomenon no doubt played its part, too. Those who are rabidly opposed to getting rid of whatever tend to vote in greater numbers that those who vote in high-stakes campaigns, or who trudge conscientiously to the polls, no matter. There were only 500-some voters from Eureka Springs in this election compared to 3000-some in the last one. These 500 voters were pretty dedicated to something– and we suspect they illustrated the rabid voter phenomenon.
A Cluster of Reasons
So there’s a combination of reasons, not just one. But the way the reasons cluster is, with the exception of the favorite son, the way of the hate-and-swiftboat mentality.
It’s an undermining of all argument and rationality based on fear, swiftboating, and hate; and relies on media complicity.
If you don’t like it with Bush, why tolerate it locally?
It Takes Time, Information and Education
Speaking of Bush reminds us all that it takes a long, long, time for the people to catch on.
It will take time for the people of Eureka Springs to catch on. But I believe they will.
– IF we do our part to educate and inform more completely than we have so far.
And that, too, takes time, particularly with our local complicitous media.
The Hate-and-Swiftboat Effect
No one wants to believe the hate-and-swiftboat effect works, particularly here in Eureka Springs. The problem is, it works or I wouldn’t be writing any of this.
The Hate-and-Swiftboat Mailing
The week before the election, Jack Moyer, Marty Roenigk, and Randy Wolfenbarger sent out a hate-and-swiftboat mailing.
They distorted the taxi-limo issue beyond recognition.
They lodged a totally unnecessary and mean-spirited sidewinder of a comment directed against the Council members who disagreed with them on the taxi-limo issue.
They supported judicial candidate Alan Epley over Kent Crow because Crow had written the taxi-limo ordinance as a lawyer, which had nothing to do with his work as a judge.
The logic of that last step is not ours.
It is the logic of three men who erupt time and again, to try to control what happens here. So confident have they become of the hate-and-swiftboat effect in Eureka, they felt comfortable once again in proclaiming their arrogant posture publicly. They had been quiet for a while, what with Moyer’s handlers reigning him in.
Roenigk, who used to be thought of as the soft-spoken nice guy, at long last has come out under the tutelage of chief henchman Moyer. Wolfenbarger has shown us once again a piece of the dishonesty that was cause for him to resign back when he was Mayor.
As I said, the problem with the mailing is that it worked. It did not, as so many people have said, backfire. It shot right into the opposition, and the hit was hard.
Crow Lost in Eureka Springs
Contrary to what many people believe, Crow lost in Eureka Springs. His victory was not based on the vote from Eureka, but from other parts of Carroll County.
Here is the Eureka Springs tally for Epley and Crow:
Ward 1
Epley 105
Crow 44
Ward 2
Epley 83
Crow 73
Ward 3
Epley 123
Crow 66
The Taxi-Limo Referendum Was not about a Monopoly
The taxi-limo referendum lost because of a campaign that was untrue to its core, saying that passing the ordinance would give David “Fuzzy” White a “monopoly.” Never mind that White already had a franchise, and that a franchise is not a monopoly. A franchise is a business supported by a city to maintain a service that would otherwise not be able to maintain itself– as with the city’s franchise with the cable and electric companies.
Whatever, the misinformation promulgated by the hate-and-swiftboat mailing fed into a frenzy against monopolies.
It’s not Just the Hate-and-Swiftboat
Don’t get us wrong. The hate-and-swiftboat mailing is not the only thing that made the elections what they were.
Fear was the mainstay that led to the downfall of the demolition by neglect referendum. Given that the Historic District Commission (HDC) had final jurisdiction (short of the time, expense, and impossible solution for the poor, to go to court), we ourselves only hesitantly supported the referendum. We were concerned about unwarranted action from HDC, particularly since the untrustworthy Building Inspector was to have such a big part of the action– and she has shown herself to be more or less aligned with the “Pretty Police” than with enforcing codes. So fear did have an effect at least on demo by neglect, and probably in the judicial race.
Favorite son status no doubt brought more votes to the candidate from Eureka, Alan Epley, than to the Berryville boy, Kent Crow. –If, that is, the larger part of the people voting knew Epley was the boy from Eureka.
The media also played its part in failing to challenge the misinformation being given out on the taxi- limo ordinance. To fail to speak out is something many Eurekans have criticized the national media for on Bush. What exempts the local media from getting a handle on our issues?
That the media failed to challenge Judge Epley’s failure to recuse until after the election is a second complicity, particularly since Epley failed to act for over a month after the request for him to do so. What exempts the local media from finding out and reporting on what is happening?
The rabid voter phenomenon no doubt played its part, too. Those who are rabidly opposed to getting rid of whatever tend to vote in greater numbers that those who vote in high-stakes campaigns, or who trudge conscientiously to the polls, no matter. There were only 500-some voters from Eureka Springs in this election compared to 3000-some in the last one. These 500 voters were pretty dedicated to something– and we suspect they illustrated the rabid voter phenomenon.
A Cluster of Reasons
So there’s a combination of reasons, not just one. But the way the reasons cluster is, with the exception of the favorite son, the way of the hate-and-swiftboat mentality.
It’s an undermining of all argument and rationality based on fear, swiftboating, and hate; and relies on media complicity.
If you don’t like it with Bush, why tolerate it locally?
It Takes Time, Information and Education
Speaking of Bush reminds us all that it takes a long, long, time for the people to catch on.
It will take time for the people of Eureka Springs to catch on. But I believe they will.
– IF we do our part to educate and inform more completely than we have so far.
And that, too, takes time, particularly with our local complicitous media.
Filed under: ES Folk | Tagged: Alan Epley, Carroll County, Commentary, Demolition By Neglect, Editorial, Election Results, Eureka Springs, Kent Crow, Politics, Rabid Voter Phenomenon, Taxi-limo ordinance