Clean Campaign Talk
Council Member and Supervisorial candidate Das Williams called for a clean campaign yesterday and it's already been described herein by anonymous commenters as him having chutzpah?
What's great about putting yourself out there like this is that if he doesn't run a clean campaign he will be clearly out of integrity -- you would think his opponents would be happy for him to set himself up like this.
Please -- watch the tone and tenor of your comments here. For some reason, the 2nd District as a topic has been going south right away -- let's take it easy!
What's great about putting yourself out there like this is that if he doesn't run a clean campaign he will be clearly out of integrity -- you would think his opponents would be happy for him to set himself up like this.
Please -- watch the tone and tenor of your comments here. For some reason, the 2nd District as a topic has been going south right away -- let's take it easy!
posted by Sara De la Guerra | 2/15/2006 08:13:00 AM
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50 Comments:
What's of course ironic is that Das was flanked by Mayor Blum and Councilman Horton--the three being the main trio that tried to knock out fellow dem Falcone in an ugly manner unprecented in city races, including bullhorns on de la Guerra plaza and lots of direct mail.
So, is Das coming clean now because it has always been the right thing to do? Or because the attempt with Blum and Horton failed so badly last time that it helped split the party and cost him the mainstream dem support that he will need at some point in his political career--like maybe this fall if he's in the runoff with Secord?
One smart move for Das in his new "clean" campaign would be to keep Blum from sending out fundraising literature on his behalf--her missives during the city campaign were, to put it mildly, extremely ill-advised.
P.S. Sara, nice post. Thank you for the "tone and tenor" warning. I've liked the blog better now that there's a higher road being taken.
What's wrong with standing up and saying that he's in favor of clean elections - after all, who's not in favor of apple pie and motherhood (except a few cranks who prefer chiles and lowered population!)
The big issue is not that one of candidates, with several pols standing with him, is disappointed in the "negativity", as he put it, but the amount of money to be raised.
Political races are always first and foremost about the persona, the importance of likeability — but votes can be bought, in effect, if not dollar for vote so. Secord looks to raise $300-350K; Wolf probably will be in the same range; Williams gets hit for an initial donation of $25K and will probably raise 10x that amount.
...And the next city council race will most likely top $100K - after all, the council seat is that much more valuable now that the salary has been upped. And so, because of the cost of a viable campaign, city council has joined the Board of Supervisors as being even more out of reach of the "ordinary" city or county resident, unwilling or unable to put in so much time and a-kissing into $-raising.
The big issue really is what are these donors getting or think they're getting - expectation has a way of transistioning seamlessly into the reality. The campaign to have public financing will only make the groups, the SEIU, the Police/Fire, others - and incumbency! - that much more powerful. Anyone have any ideas? ...I am beginning to think there is nothing that can be done.
So four councilmembers, in other words a quorum of the Santa Barbara City Council, got together at the County Courthouse (of all places) to discuss local campaign issues. Along with his pledge to run a clean campaign, does Das also plan on adhering to the Brown Act? Did Das and three other council members discuss this press conference beforehand? Was this campaign discussion by the quorum adeqately noticed? Were members of the public asked to provide comment? Or did Das just feel the need to provide notice to the media? Just wondering...
Bill, nothing gets past you.
Where to begin........more juvenile campaign stunts by the juvenile campaigner; more perplexing and silly was the presence of the quorom of City Council people.
Holding a press conference to promise a clean campaign is a curious thing to do.
Most people are more impressed by candidates who behave and interact with others in an honest, "clean" manner, when there are no cameras or when no one is watching.
Of course, many commenters miss the point. It is not an open meetings (Brown Act) violation if even a quorum of elected officials are present, unless they talk about current and future City actions that should be in a future city government meeting. "Das for Supervisor" is not an upcoming City action.
That law is about public disclosure of actual government business by the particular agency, including the City Council. That law is not about a prohibition against being in the same place at the same time. If so, the recent memorial service held at UCSB for the Goleta postal shooting victims would be considered a government meeting, which it obviously was not.
What election contributions actually get for the money later is the entire point and one that should be the subject of much at Blogabarbara here.
But what that "Clean Campaign" action by Das really was about is a pre-emptive shot at Secord. Dr. Dan, we all should remember (if not learn now) has hired Davies to run his campaign, and Davies ran a very sleazy, truly OBSCENE-ly expensive, and highly ad-hominum attack-campaign, full of direct negative ads, against Buttney for Third District election 2 years ago.
While people may not like Buttney for many reasons, Firestone indeed won ugly and deliberately lied to the public about what his alleged "bridge-building" candidacy would be about.
So far, Secord has refused to promise his campaign would be any different.
For all the whining and wanking about Das Williams here, which candidate is in the news today because he actually did something positive?!?
And no, The Guzz does not count as a news hit in the daily obsessive opinion rant by Travis Factswrong today.
FDS: there is a great difference between DOING something positive and STATING that you will do something positive.
Getting onself in the newspaper all the time is a bit like crying wolf.......no pun intended....
at some point, if not already, people will stop listening.....
Valerio FYI: The Brown Act definition of meetings is very broad---it is not restricted only to possible actions of an elected body; it is anything that is "within the subject matter", actually or potentially.
look it up. the Councilmembers are walking a tightrope in their allegiance to Das. Hopefully none will fall off as a result.
FDS: I know it's the lowest common denominator norm at some point in a discussion here (about anything) to attack Travis and call him a name, but what's the "obsessive opinion rant" about Guzzardi today from the editor? Give us a break and try an original thought. Thank you.
I bet Das and his three "flanking" council members vote as a controlling block on the living wage and other "progressive" issues. So maybe it was just a bonding session and not a Brown Act violation. And to think, Marty didn't even like Das when he first came on the council.
Couching political partisan spin as finger-wagging "FYI" is still spin.
Again, "Das for Supervisor" is NOT "within the subject matter" of Santa Barbara City Council. And it is all moot if those Councilmembers do not talk about Das during the event anyway, in an effort to influence each other, which the law identifies as Deliberation.
And I have "looked it up" and I have been briefed by the City Attorney and other experts several times on this exact issue.
The issue still is who is really going to run a Clean Campaign, who has promised to do so, and who will not promise to do so.
This all really needs to be about which candidates one is FOR and why. Getting oneself in the newspaper is how to win votes, and that still is what politics is all about.
Clean campaign...
Clean blog...
It's all good...
The other three (or four) should come out with similar pledges...
Val--could you be slightly less vocal about your bias towards Das and unwillingness to hold him even the least bit accountable for the actions he takes. It really removes any pretense of objectivity from this blog.
Maybe Das could check with Davies and see what kind of campaign he is going to run if, in fact, he is running Secords campaign. After all Davies is a Das contributor. I agree it is a pre-emtive strike. But to see that particular group ( Das, Marty, Roger and Grant) striking a pious pose after the last Council campaign is truly stomach turning. Should David Niles accusations against Secord be considered a political attack by opponents of Secord? Is that considered dirty pool? It is if you follow Das's feelings about "attacks" on his supporters. He felt comfortable working the back room during the battering that characterized the Council race, let's see how comfortable he is now that he is a candidate in the new climate he helped create.
I have to back Valerio on this one -- especially on his description of the Brown Act, he's right on target.
I'm not clear where the bias comes in. Does Das supporting another candidate constitute running a negative campaign? I never heard him mention Council Members Falcone's name during the campaign -- going a little further back, I would point out that she's never really done him any favors. Were her quotes about him in the NP negative campaigning, therefore, too?
Yes, we can probably assume back room maneuvering -- but I see negative campaigning as attack ads and mailers that go beyond the comparative. I didn't see that happen here.
If lack of endorsement means you are going negative -- how does a council member try to get members they might work with better on council?
"We can probably assume some back room maneuvering"?????? You must have been sleeping the last 8 months Rip. Wake up, they tried a big power play, it failed, it created a ton of bad feelings and acting the aggrieved party is now more than a bit hypocritical. He irritated a lot of people. You don't get to walk away from something like that without paying a price. People remember.
Humm, Das chose not to endorse Iya when she ran for re-election, Iya chose not to endorse Das when he ran for council. GET OVER IT. Neither of those actions are negative.
Please give examples of Das using negative campaign tactics against anyone or please stop making the claim. Your continued repitition does not make it so.
I can only remember Naomi, Joe and Salud attacking Das and Helene this campaign.
Das is such a nice boy, the others should be so nice! Remember, be polite and never, ever offend anyone and you'll go far in politics..smile!
Seems like Das should be running from Dan and Davies but unfortunately he has his hands full with a real neigbhor activist in Joe and a real community leader in Janet. Das better worry about getting by Joe and Janet first - he is far from a sure shot. He starts ahead but Joe will tear enough away and leave the door open for Janet.
And then if he lives for another day he has to survive a Firestone type juggernaut of campaigning - no easy job.
The clean campaign is to keep Joe off his back and to paint Joe as bad. Secord will not be an active participant in the June election.
Anon 4:39 are you serious? You haven't heard of any of Das' dirty campaign tactics in the City Council race? I can count up to ten individuals including me who were directly approached by Das whispering in a very deliberate way about the evils of Iya and also Loretta. He was so driven to get Diane on the Council and have someone who he could script that he went to great lengths to smear the opponents. He knows it and so do the folks he approached. He made major errors in judgement in his zeal and those will not be forgotten.
Amen.
Yep. a more meaningful pledge by Das in light of his behavior during the Council race would be that he wouldn't orchestrate behind-the-scenes dirty smear tactics.
Amen Amen,
Das is so guilty that he can not look some of us in the eyes. Das knows he is wrong and has done wrong.
I laughed this morning when I read this. He totally took the News Press for a ride again - sort of sad.
Cannot wait for Das' friend Davies to get a hold of him - only thing I cannot wait to see Davies shred him - not crazy about Secord but would pay to see the shred.
once again actual evidence
"das whispered the evils of iya and loretta", is not exactly a solid arguement to stand on.
humm I wonder what iya was saying about das when he ran for council
Lets take it easy on the boy. You know he just cannot help himself. But who will be the better supervisor Das or Janet? For sure not Joe. Served with Joe on neighborhood board and he is a very difficult self focused type. And Das should be worried about Joe as Joe is already talking big time dirt about him in private and public.
Das needs to be ready for dirty ride with Joe.
Das is running really scared - with Joe in the race he paniced at the forum - he was nervous as Joe is like him and will say anything. Very cool as they both are great and would be happy to see other - Wolfe is a light weght - she is a Rose clone.
Wolf a lightweight? Learn to spell her name first, anon. You are so off base and shooting yourself in the foot.
Whoever is calling for actual evidence has been watching too much TV. This isn't Law and Order. It happened, he knows it did and so does everyone else with the possible exception of the hardcore Das trekkies. Nothing will convince them that he doesn't walk on water. Why do you think the splintering of the local Democrats is so severe? This town is too small to get away with the type of whisper and innuendo campaign that occured. Especially since they lost. With Keith Zandona now in the race watch it will get much worse. How do you demonize someone with his environmental credentials? Voter registration edge only gives the Dems an edge up to a point.
Anon 10:41,
I think you are running behind. You are still in the Council race. You are supposed to be smearing a 2nd District candidate not Iya. She won. You must have missed a meeting.
Yea--with Keith being an authentic and devoted environmentalist; Joe occupying the neighborhoods-are-us label, Janet the only candidate with Goleta valley residence and eleven year elected official credentials, what is left for Das?
pro-living wage, pro-sleazy backroom whisper campaign,
or what?
who hates the living wage, so das supports it. The real question in this race is who can best stand up to the onslaught of the right wing board majority and after tuesdays' meeting where joni rolled salud and susan on the county split resolution, I'll try Das over more of the same of this stuff.
rolled salud and susan? hmmm and WWDD?
ok folks brace yourselves; Das' website is now in red white and blue complete with a photo of him sitting in front of the flag. He looks like he could be a Fox News talking head....
I guess it comes down to this. If I was hiring a guy to play a young go-getter, gonna change the world type a guy, in a Gap commercial, I might hire Das. But this poseur type vanity photo stuff is just so telling. Even the guys that totally believe in the image thing make sure to wear the same type of clothesin each shott to reinforce the image they are going for. Whether it's outdoor guy or serious young man on the rise. But Das has this Zelig problem. Trying to appeal to everyone, he doesn't look like anyone anymore, all I see anymore is the clothes. Someone should have helped him. This is bad. This is starting to look like a catalog shoot. The L.L. Bean Spring Campaign Catalog!!
It's actually blue white and khaki (the site) and the photo does have a flag. Same clothes to reinforce the image? I dunno about that but whatever...
Let's be clear that this is Das' Dad talking -- he manages Das' blog and he clearly is proud of his son. Does this make it an official campaign site? Maybe...maybe not.
Wolfe Wolf Wolfee. Still going to get eaten alived by the others. This campaign will be a contact sport and Wolfee wants no contact. It does not seem fair for her to be in this with Joe, Das and now Keith -
Das would run down Hollister Ave naked if that would get him votes - it is clear that red white and blue would make him sick - but if it gets some votes he is all over it.
Lets be clear Joe and Keith are the Das' greatest fear - he has to figure out of to position himself between, below around them.
Janet Wolf a light weight? She may be small and have had some health issues recently but she is not a light weight. I would put her up against the north county sups in a minute.
She may be small but can be fiesty. And it is WOLF - there is no e or ee.
What you see with Janet is what you get. She does not change colors as Das changes ties or wrap herself around Fox News like Das.
I think Janet's biggest worry is the ugly Das attack that we all know is coming soon.
That is why we have Lois and Naomi standing by to cry foul.
We have a great team and do not need the damn red white and blue or flag wrapped around us to win. This is not about the flag or some patriotic bs or romance - it is about progressive politics and helping real people and real neighborhoods.
where were naomi and lois to cry foul when salud was attacking helene? please the true irony is not that das pledged a clean campaign it's that janet has surrounded herself with the dirtiest in the business - the ones who feed travis bs about everyone who does not support their agenda.
Let's see what Das looks like in a month or so when all the major endorsements bypass him.........with the knowledge that many of those people and groups would never endorse Das because of the things he has done and said in their presence; the myth that das is the strong candidate is a myth only Das' childlike campaign will buy into. Wrap him in as many flags and GQ photo spreads you want, I'm sure his wooing young fans love it but making a silk purse out of a sows ear remains an impossibility.
Glad this whole clean campaign thing is working out so well. Please welcome new Supervisor Dan Secord.
If so, its with many thanks to City Councilman Das Williams' unwillingness to complete one job before pursuing another.
Wow its nice to see that Team Das is blogging dirty while talking clean. Das and his team should read Daraka's post over on hoverbike about anon posting...
8:43,
I can see how the "dirtiest in the business" would be in cahoots with Travis. I suppose you mean Lois Capps, Susan Rose and Naomi. Yeah riiiiiight. Travis has really been in their corner.He has been brutal on all three of them Stop being childish, this is the game Das helped create. If he doesn't want to play there is an easy solution.
I don't think das is the one having problems, everyone else seems so insecure they insist on attacking him.
Oh yea we forgot. Das is secure in his victim role.
Right on Anonymous 12:53 a.m.
Janet is a tough lady!
Anonymous 12:53 AM why are you up soooo late getting rattled by the blog. You should be out doing some serious campaigning for your candidate - JK. I'm not taking sides on this race just yet but if I was you I'd be worried about Das eating you alive on the campaign trail. Experience and maturity aside, Das has the best campaign consultant in the race - himself. The boy knows how to work the field. Davies isn't really helping Dr Dan that I can see. It's really a family affair. All he needs to do is have his base come out and be the number 1 vote getter in the primary. My fellow dems are really stirring the local party up. Perhaps it's a good thing and will remove the self serving and ineffectual politicians (Jackson, Nava)out in the cold so we can bring back the good ones like Gregg Hart.
Since when does naked ambition qualify someone for higher office. Come on, Das is like a drunken 16 year old with his Dad's car keys. Let's take them away.
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