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Friday, October 05, 2007
More Echoes
The Independent profiles the nasty campaign going on in Durham, between an incumbent mayor and a challenger who represents the John Locke Foundation and the Civitas Institute. And, boy, does this sound familiar!
We hear that! The nastiness of the Boone Town Council elections are as much about attempting a local Republican resurgence in 2008 as it is about how supposedly immoral steep-slope regulations are.
The differences between [challenger Thomas] Stith's public persona and private political maneuverings point to a curious duality: When he speaks on the council, he sounds like he's offering a reasonable, measured parsing of the issues; yet his campaign strategies are risky, even offensive, attacks torn from the dirty-politics playbook. In addition to the push polls, a campaign mailer showcases photos of [incumbent Mayor Bill] Bell's contorted face, and automated "robo-calls" claimed Durham intentionally harbors undocumented immigrants .... Stith is evasive when questioned about these tactics, his own spotty record on council, and $108,000 in campaign contributions, primarily from wealthy business owners....
But make no mistake: Stith is conservative and so are his issues. And he is seen as part of a Republican effort to upend Democratic leadership....
We hear that! The nastiness of the Boone Town Council elections are as much about attempting a local Republican resurgence in 2008 as it is about how supposedly immoral steep-slope regulations are.
