Gromer Jeffers Jr. (Dallas Morning News) reports on the race where Tom Leppert is said to have won by 58%:
Mr. Leppert was boosted to victory over council member Ed Oakley by a campaign treasury that allowed him to buy TV time, produce glitzy mailers and hire A-list operatives, all of which made him a household name.
While many have called his candidacy a throwback to the days when the city's business elite routinely anointed the mayor and council, it also reflected voter disenchantment of City Hall, which Mr. Leppert clearly exploited.
The election was in May and led to yesterday's run off. Oakley has served on the City Council of Dallas for six years. In the mayor's race he garnered endorsements from the AFL/CIO, the Dallas Police Association, the Dallas Police Officer's Political Action Committee, Stonewall Democrats, the Executive Committee of the Dallas County Democratic Party, and more.
In what may be the biggest political 'contribution' of this century so far, the usual problems with voting and votes be counted existed. Community member Dallas reports no problem in his precinct and that not only are the votes scanned, you're alerted to errors. Those machines only go to the pricey areas, he and other members notes. (In the 2004 election, the best/worst story we have ever been informed of by a member was a long line in the parking lot of a polling place and people approaching cars with a handheld machine and saying you could vote on those. For the record, those voting on those devices were not voting -- no such devices officially existed.) Group that most ticked off Dallas voters? We'll be kind and not name them but suggest that anyone attempting to drum up support should not contact previous voters and tell them they voted in __ election, in ___ election but not in ___ election. Four members got those mailings repeatedly. All four did not vote in one election because they did, in fact, not live in Dallas at the time. Shaming people in voting doesn't increase turnout and that group, as noted each week in the gina & krista round-robin, did more to suppress the vote than to turn it out. As Samantha noted, "My attitude is, 'Screw you, I won't vote.' I really never needed to be contacted by strangers and told it is my duty to vote and then presented with my voting record." (Samantha missed the 2005 election -- Dallas elects in off-years -- due to the fact that she was in Oklahoma caring for her father who had just suffered a stroke.)
Actually, we are going to name it. We've had problems with an illustration Billie sent us, getting it to upload. She's provided a new one and while that uploads, C.I. checked the members accounts for The Common Ills and found three members had e-mailed this morning about the group, two of whom scanned the letters they'd received. We'll zoom in on one and, remember, this is supposed to make you want to vote.
Dear Registered Voter:
YOU ARE BEING STUDIED!
Why do so many people fail to vote? We've been talking about the problem for years, but it only seems to get worse.
This year, we're trying to figure why people do or do not vote. We'll be studying voter turnout in the May 12th Municipal election.
Our analysis will be based on public records, so you will not be contacted again or disturbed in any way. Anything we learn about your voting or not voting will remain confidential and will not be disclosed to anyone else.
The chart shows your name from the list of registered voters, showing past votes, as well as an empty box which we will fill in to show whether you vote in the May 12th Muncipal election.
We will leave the box blank if you do not vote.
DO YOUR CIVIC DUTY - VOTE!
The letter then goes on to list the May 2003, May 2005 and May 2007 [a blank for all -- "Above information does not include early voting for this election"] and, at the bottom, notes "Political advertising, paid for by New Voices." This letter (and those receiving it were also sent other mailings from New Voices) really pissed a lot of people off and it started with the opening of "YOU ARE BEING STUDIED!" in all caps. For future reference, being a buttinsky into business that is none of your damn business doesn't up voter turnout. Intimidation isn't what voting is supposed to be about in a democratic society. This is an embarrassing mailing and, unless it was intended to suppress turnout, it was a failure. Members reported grandparents and parents being especially offended by it. Returning to the election . . .
Regardless of the results or of the validity of the 'results,' the fact remains that an openly gay man ran for mayor of one of the top ten populated cities in the country, made it to the run off and gave a strong showing. At a time when gays and lesbians are openly under attack, when they have been used by the GOP to scare voters, that's really saying something. So count that as a victory. Billie scanned the campaign material below and we present it to note that in 2007 an openly gay man could and did run a strong mayoral campaign.
We spoke with community member Billie. The first thing she wanted noted was the obvious: If the rumors are true and the current mayor is planning higher office, the nation needs to be scared. The 'Democrat' Laura Miller is anti-union and anti-worker. In her pricey million dollar home (earned on a mayor's salary?), one that required her husband to not run for re-election in the state legislature due to the fact that it changed their district, Miller was infamous for having her son pose for pictures in a 'night shirt' (that struck many as a dress) while standing on kitchen cabinets. "That last part may seem minor, but you ask any mother if they let their children stand on kitchen cabinets and I bet you'll get a very loud 'no.' Add in that when our city passed the resolution against the Patriot Act it was over Miller's objection. Twice, when crowds turned out, all wearing blue, to support the measure, she tabled it. When it finally came to a discussion and a vote, she voted against it and hissed at those present for applauding when it won. Of course, when a grown man cries before the vote, one sitting on the council, saying it can't be approved because of the 'troops,' her actions may seem less embarrassing."
Billie also advised that 'Democrat' Laura Miller (officially, mayor races in Dallas are non-partisan) won for re-election in 2005 by using photos of herself with the Bully Boy. Billie says, "Be scared, be very scared."