I recently received this piece of literature from Berny Stone's campaign (click for larger images):
My initial reaction to it was: are all of these people on the front new immigrants? The statement, "Welcome to America" is typically what one says to new immigrants. Did he send this to me thinking I'm a new immigrant? Because that's hardly so - in fact, I've been in this ward for a long time. Long enough, in fact, to feel neglected by the alderman.
I don't think this is the reaction the alderman intended to evoke in me, but maybe that's a sign of how out-of-touch he is with the residents. In fact, this piece seemed to be a "Berny-come-late" response to the perception that Stone is not very in-touch with the ward's increasingly diverse population. That perception may be particularly strong with Naisy Dolar supporters, who likely see the young, female minority candidate as the polar opposite to the old-school machine politician.
Re: the promises on the back page. An incumbent is in a particular pickle (or sometimes, advantage) because he can't just make promises about what he *will* do. He has to show what he *has* done. And in that, an incumbent can't get away with vague references to what his accomplishments have been. Words used on this piece like "support" (used twice) and "include"
fall flatter than bullet points recalling specific instances where he showed his commitment to the ward's diversity in some way. It goes back to gradeschool writing lessons: it is better to show than tell. Sure, it might take a little more space. But does this piece look like it was short on space?
At the end of the day, I am left with the conclusion that Berny Stone doesn't really have any proof of his past "support."
5 comments:
Stone is so racist that he became a Republican when Harold Washington was elected Mayor.
Stone's so transparent with his panic-pandering, it really is embarrassing for us to have put him there. He also proposed adding Asian-Americans back into minority set-asides, from what I hear. He's never supported it before (including when Asian-Americans were stripped out of the set-asides), and now, just in time for the elections, he's all over it??
Let's get this guy out of office already!
Honestly, I liked the Stone mail piece as trumpeting the great diversity of the ward. Say what you will about Stone but the diversity of the 50th Ward has grown and flourished under Stone's leadership.
I saw the mail piece. I thought that it was well written and celebrates the diversity of the Ward. Stone brings people together rather divide people. I was really surprised to see such a unique and hip mailing from Alderman Stone.
all of stone's mailings have been good and also positive. stone is the only one running who has not resorted to negative tactics.his opponents efforts are directed at creating anger in a community that is not angry.
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