Once Again, Vote Roy for Mayor! Jacques Roy says there is a new excitement in the air here in Alexandria. He's right. During the past three months, Alexandrians have discussed our shared future, and nowhere has this conversation been more detailed and more passionate than right here in the blogosphere. We've offered a play-by-play analysis of this election. Before the primary election, we unpacked the candidacies of all seven contenders, and collectively, we asked, "Who makes the most sense? Who will bring a renewed energy and hope to City Hall? Who is most capable of standing up to entrenched interests? Who can steward Alexandria through this great period of growth?" And the consensus, insofar as I can tell, is that Jacques Roy, a thirty-six-year old lawyer, represents our best hope. Until now, I have remained silent about the type of campaign that Roy's opponent, Delores Brewer, has been waging. I have directed readers to the facts about the commercials and mail-outs, but I have offered no analysis. I once believed that Mrs. Brewer wanted to be mayor for the right reasons. I am no longer so certain. The Town Talk likened Mrs. Brewer's campaign to a "grim theater of reckless advertising and personal attacks." But it is more than that. It is premised on divisiveness, deception, and outright lies. Two of Mrs. Brewer's television commercials have been covered nationally, not for their inventiveness but because they represent everything that is wrong about political campaigning. One of the nation's most influential blogs, My Left Wing, had this to say about Mrs. Brewer's infamous rape ad:

Although Brewer and her Republican handlers from Baton Rouge vehemently deny it, Brewer patently conflates her rapist and her Democratic opponent, Jacques Roy, in the television spot: therein she claims both of them have attacked her; both of their "attacks" required her to regroup and rebuild her "strength" and "integrity;" and both, the ad implies, have "disrespected" the community. The parallel structures it erects cannot be more pellucid. And she has admitted it, although she refuses to apologize to those whose experience of rape and molestation she exploited in order to tape a commercial whose bathetic and sanctimonious message ranks it one of the most offensive and cynical political advertisements in Louisiana history (bold mine).

My Left Wing and others have also offered thorough analysis of Brewer's press conference and the notorious "pig" commercial, painting both as part of an old-time Southern strategy for victory, relying on subtle stereotypes and innuendo. On November 7, I hope that we will all resist this message. We will see it for what it truly is: a campaign engineered on lies and fear, a campaign that has indeed resorted to the unfortunately named "Southern Strategy" for victory. Mr. Roy has done our community a big favor by refusing to respond to these commercials. However offensive they may be, Jacques Roy has rendered them unimportant. Why? Because when Jacques Roy said he would not engage in negative campaigning during the run-off, he meant it. He kept his word. And by keeping his word, Jacques Roy has shown that he is above such superfluous and inflammatory attacks. I can personally attest that Mr. Roy has been campaigning in all parts of our city, not simply in the precincts that carry the most Democrat voters. He has shared his message of inclusive, smart growth with anyone willing to listen, and he has parlayed the excitement of this election into a cohesive movement that will likely exist for years to come. He has given all of us-- black and white, Democrat and Republican, young and old-- someone and something to believe in. Mr. Roy has demonstrated that he is truly in touch with the needs and expectations of our community. Last week, when Mrs. Brewer asked Mr. Roy on KSYL radio to explain "smart growth," he offered a five minute in-depth analysis: Smart growth isn't simply about in-fill; it's much more. Mr. Roy does his homework, and his experience in law will serve our community well, as we become something bigger and better than a quaint city on a river. Please do not be complacent. Cast your vote on November 7 for real change. Please vote for Jacques Roy.

This entry was posted by Blogger, on Sunday, November 05, 2006.