If you live in The Ville, and follow politics at all, you are familiar with the last-minute smear campaign in the Democratic primary for the Metro Council Sixth District seat. Ken Herndon, the candidate, and Jeff Noble, his campaign manager, were viciously attacked via a full-color, glossy-printed mailing on the weekend before the election. (And if you aren't familiar with it, the story in Leo covers it pretty well.)
Jeff Noble is a friend of mine, so I was upset about it on a personal level. But even if Jeff had been only a fellow Dem, I still would have been upset -- because from all appearances, this was an attack by another Democrat. In fact, some people theorized that there might have been more than one local Democratic leader involved in this. I won't name the names that were mentioned; suffice it to say you would know them if you heard them.
Then, at the state Democratic convention, Jeff was once again the target of what looks to be an attack by other Dems. His election to the state executive committee was tainted by some ballot shenanigans -- the first count showed him winning, that count was written on the envelope, and then a subsequent recount showed him losing. (That's his side of the story, which at this point is the only side I've heard, as nothing has been shared by anyone in leadership as far as I know. For more on Jeff's experience at the state convention, you can read his blog here.)
Do I know, without a doubt, who printed, addressed, and mailed the smear attack on Ken Herndon? No, I do not. Do I know, without a doubt, that the election involving Jeff at the state convention was tampered with? No, I do not.
What I do know is that in both instances it appears that fellow Democrats, in order to gain or retain power, used tactics such as lying, libel, smear campaigns, ballet tampering, and election interference.
It's funny -- I'm very active in politics, and yet I am in some ways as "unpolitical" as they come. I am somewhat Pollyanna in my approach to all of this: I always believe the best of people until I see proof otherwise, and I'm always shocked when people break the rules. I do this work not for the glory, or for the power, but because I sincerely believe in public service, and I assume others are doing it for the same reason.
I can be a pragmatist, at times. I can understand voting for half a loaf, because otherwise you'd get no loaf, and maybe next time you can get the other half. I understand working with someone you can't stand in order to pass a piece of legislation, because your dislike of the person is not as important as getting the legislation passed for the good of the people you serve. That's just politics -- the "art of the possible."
But, there is a line that cannot be crossed by people of good will, and saying "that's just politics" does not excuse crossing that line. Funding, printing, and mailing that smear sheet crossed that line. Messing with duly-submitted ballots crosses that line. And as understanding as I can be about some things, these are things that I cannot support and will not tolerate.
I will reserve judgment about the state convention election until Jeff's appeal is heard and both sides are presented. In the case of the Herndon smear flyer, there is no need to reserve anything except contempt for the slimy power grubbers who did it. In either case, though, one thing is clear to me: if proof can ever be offered as to who did these things, those persons will lose my respect, my support, and my cooperation. They will no longer deserve the name Democrat. They will merely deserve the name "sleazy politician." And throwing around the phrase "that's just politics" will not suffice.
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