But could the Ken Svoboda on the right have defeated Chris Beutler in the Lincoln Mayor's race?
Was the Cookie-Duster worth 845 votes?
Before losing to Bob Kerry, Dave Karnes was said to have floated the notion of sawing off his Soup-Strainer. Probably wouldn’t have made a difference in that race, but could the guy on the right have garnered a few more votes?
Now we’re not implying that the positions taken, statements made, experience, commercials, direct-mail and all that didn’t matter.
It’s just that when it comes down to eight hundred some votes, you wonder what small things may have tipped the scales.
(Here is a good summary of the campaign organizations by Deena Winter of the LJS.)
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8 comments:
Good question. I'd have to say that Svoboda breaking his promise and going negative didn't help his chances. The Mediangate fiasco, coupled with his own discovery of the City overpaying his business for the contract work, also didn't help matters.
Probably the pornstache though.
Without "Mediangate", Svoboda is mayor easy. But we're asking, if everything else stayed the same... did it turn on the stache?
Foxspit, pointing out a candidate's record does not constitute "going negative." "Going negative" would be sending out a direct mail piece that mocks a candidate's family; his personal life; and things that have nothing to do with running for Mayor...kind of like the hit piece Beutler sent out about Svoboda during the primary.
And, in case you didn't notice, (and judging by your post, you haven't) Svoboda gained 12 percentage points in 3 weeks which would beg the question that Svoboda's strategy of attacking Beutler's record of raising taxes and supporting illegal immigrants struck a serious chord with Lincoln voters.
Svoboda just made the mistake of waiting too long to define Beutler. One more week and Ken Svoboda is Lincoln's new mayor.
And a razor Dale! Don't forget the razor! (I'll be here all week! Tip your waitress!)
But seriously, the old "If we just had one more week" line never cuts it, even though it's used by every candidate who comes close.
Personally, I found the allocation of campaign resources (as mentioned in the linked LJS article) to be very interesting, and it should be noted by every candidate who plans on running for office.
Good point (about the "one more week" line).
But I disagree about the razor...after all, the 'stache worked for President Taft!
Everything else the same, it was definitely the stache.
Something about your Photoshopped version creeps me out a little though, so what do I know?
Dale,
Everybody knows Taft brought down the political mustache. Honest Abe made facial hair popular, and it was a sure-fire way to get elected until Taft ruined it with his walrus impression. The stache has been cursed ever since.
We Lincoln liberals don't want or need a Republican businessman as our mayor.
Let Omaha have the economic growth. After all, we like our "small town feel", complete with prostitutes and gang murders. Furthermore, taxpayers from across Nebraska are forced to pay the 9% salary increase for the state employees who reside here. The labor courts said so. And we are ensured sales tax revenue brought in by the State Fair, State Games, state tourney finals, etc.
Who needs conservative leadership when state government is in your corner? (By the way, be sure to catch our downtown. Unchanged since 1975.)
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