This might have been good in January; today, not so much.

[redneckgaijin]

Back in the primary season, I'd hoped the "Skeletons in my Closet" section of my campaign website would attract a few media types, who would then call attention to the issues I'm running on.

Unfortunately, the Beaumont Enterprise waited until today- two days before election- to run a piece SOLELY on my skeletons, with no issues in sight.

http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17423282&BRD=2287&PAG=461&dept_id=512588&rfi=6

They couldn't have done a better hack job on me if John Otto had paid 'em to do it.

Well, it's too early to say if the Skeletons admissions are a failure, but they certainly failed to prevent the "October Surprise" journalism the Enterprise has used.

Now I just have to hope nobody reads the Enterprise at my grandmother's church until my aunt goes home. Grr.

Edit: The story has a place to enter comments. PLEASE DON'T JUMP IN THERE TO MY DEFENSE, unless you actually live in my district. That's the one thing which would make me look worse there right now.

Comments

Beaumont Enterprise's booboo

[kyllein.livejournal.com]

These fools actually leave space for a response. This was mine:
"I ran across your interesting article via an aquatintence's referral. I must say you folks are doing an excellent job of waiting until the last minute to print something detrimenatal to a candidate...so the candidate cannot respond before election day. I also applaud your stalwartly skirting the issues and going directly to personality (of no effect on the candidate's validity for Office, nor indication of what they would do if elected). Cutting to the chase, you had some unused column-inches, so you ran an "Oh Dear Me" on a candidate who is not only a libertarian (gasp!) but writes Pornography (Oh Dear!). Undoubtedly, you'll sell a few more Newspapers and thus help some poor newsboys out struggling in the Texas snow... Nevermind that you've skewed the election. You have rewarded the Candidate that probably bought the most advertising; that other fellow likely hasn't bought all that much ad-space in your paper in any case. What a nice way to reward a good customer: Elective office!
I make a habit of scanning other state's newspapers during election fever, the People's Democratic Republic of California usually has the best of these little pre-election backstabs but in this case, you get the nod! Congratulations....folks! (the word 'Gentlemen' just doesn't fit, somehow...)"
It's odd, but this might actually help you: Unlike your competition, you now have no skeletons in your closet...a point to make tomorrow, before the election. As to the Porn: Kris, truth is: the stuff you write is tame, funny. Nobody gets dead, everybody is 18 or older, it's all consensual, and even the villans are more funny than evil. What you write is Sexual Comedy, not pornography. If any of your family ask, just show them the Family-Safe stuff...it's porn, based on content. Who knows: you might still win! The Fat Lady hasn't sung yet, and the Polls haven't even opened. Don't quit with the finish line in sight. IF your Grandmother reads that part of the paper, well: at least you're trying to make a living; and paying your taxes... Hang in there, man!

Re: Beaumont Enterprise's booboo

[redneckgaijin.livejournal.com]

Um, I'd as soon folks from outside the area -not- come to my defense here. I'm not happy about the article, but friends jumping in to my defense makes me look -worse-.

If folks read the article and comment themselves, as they did with another recent item, that would be different.

[bar1scorpio.livejournal.com]

And.. they didn't even provide a link!

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

What makes you think he didn't pay them to do it? Oh, probably not in any direct, provable way -- just one of those little gentlemen's agreements over drinks or golf. So much advertising to be bought over the next year...

Honestly, Kris, if you weren't expecting a last-minute attack like this, you're living in a dream world.

[redneckgaijin.livejournal.com]

I was hoping to avert it- or at least aim it in a different direction, such as my inexperience or my stances.

Of course, since I can't prove Otto paid for the article, it would certainly be libelous for me to say so...