After reading all available material about the "top" three candidates, I've decided that they're all problematic, even annoying. So I'll vote for Jefferson Smith, since he's the most liberal of the candidates with a chance of winning.
Good calls, Mercury: Having a politician say "thank you" to the people he serves is a gracious and standup act. We say, "you're welcome, carry on!" And, a "...more detailed, policy driven add..." is a good suggestion, and a likely next step. Thanks for pointing out the self-promotion aspects of the other candidates, as well.
I wonder what the Mercury's endorsement policy is? Are you guys covering the TEDx conference which Smith curated?
I think gratitude is a great place to start. Jefferson has said all along, if he gets elected Mayor, it will not because he raised the most money. Instead it will be because the greatest grass roots movement Portland has ever seen came together around a fellow who's message resonates with citizen activists and common citizens alike.
It's so funny that he's named like Jimmy Stewart's character in the Capra movie--this is exactly the kind of ad Smith would have made back then! It almost resonates as corny because, does anybody really believe in the virtue of civic service anymore? Does anyone believe government can effect positive change? Jefferson does, and you have to fight through your own filter of cognitive dissonance to see that he's serious. He left a six figure ENTRY job because he couldn't defend tobacco companies. He left a safe seat in the Leg because he thought he could help his neighbors better from City Hall. He won't take out of state org dollars, raised his first $100K on low-number donors, and doesn't spend hundreds of thousands to consulting and production firms from out of state to run his campaign. His primary success is making that feeling of civic responsibility infectious and daresay fun, particularly among the young.
We get so used to smelling out the put-on (and some candidates try hard to wink at the put-on in hopes it will seem less put on) that we look for the put-on in every ad. I don't think there IS one in this ad. I gotta go with the guy who isn't trying to feed me a sales line in every breath.
I agree with torridjoe. I focus on how Smith speaks more than the other two about the things my students and their families need in the schools and neighborhoods where I teach. The fact that Smith doesn't take money from out of state people or big developers is huge, though. He's running an awesome campaign on a very low budget, convincing almost 1,000 people to volunteer with him, just knocking on doors and asking to speak about the city government. And, "Demondog"s Mitt comparison is lame. Smith's more like a golden lasso of justice than an Etch a Sketch.
I wonder what the Mercury's endorsement policy is? Are you guys covering the TEDx conference which Smith curated?
We get so used to smelling out the put-on (and some candidates try hard to wink at the put-on in hopes it will seem less put on) that we look for the put-on in every ad. I don't think there IS one in this ad. I gotta go with the guy who isn't trying to feed me a sales line in every breath.