My turn to eat a bit of crow

I have recently complained about the conduct of the South Bend Tribune. Among the complaints was that on September 7, 2007 (published here) I had sent a letter to them whose assertions were backed by facts, that I had supplied background information to them and there seemed no prospect of it ever appearing in print. I was more hurt than angry, really. I've often commented to out-of -towners that one of the really cool things about living here is that if you write the local newspaper, it's very likely it will be published. So their failure to print my letter seemed a bit of a betrayal and seriously unfair. I had even come to believe I had been "blacklisted". Well, I was wrong.

When I opened the newspaper this morning, there it was. It was a bit buried and didn't carry a title I'd have picked, but I'm well aware the Trib is under no obligation to print anything I choose to send them. So I can continue to brag to the out of town folk.

It still is puzzling that it took nineteen days to hit print. That's a very long gap in my experience. But I had accused them of burying it. It seems that wasn't true.

I think it is pretty clear they favor Manigault, however. There were three separate pro Manigault pieces in that same edition today. A letter just ahead of mine, yet another page wide top of the page Michiana Point of View and a news story titled "GOP's Manigault opens office for Democrat voters". I'd have to be a hypocrite to complain about publishing the first two items, but the last one is a different story.

Start with the headline. Note the use of Democrat vs. Democratic. This isn't just poor grammar - it's standard issue Republic strategist tactics. But but most importantly, it's pretty much a straight up campaign press release for Manigault. There's no news here.

I also still fault them for not doing their own investigation of the fiscal shenanigans of the Workforce Investment Board.

Here's another mistake I made. Because Juan Manigault was so uniquely unqualified for the office he was campaigning for and because he seemed completely disingenuous to me, I didn't take his candidacy very seriously. His campaign has disabused me of that notion. Loathsome as I find their "perceptions are more important than facts " mantra, they have clearly made inroads that way, and they've backed that up by old fashioned grassroots organizing. Note how many Manigault signs you see on lawns - particularly on main traffic corridors. No, these folks should be taken seriously.

As many of you know, I'm deeply involved in the John Edwards campaign. There are serious limits to parallels one can draw between a local election and a more glamorous, more populated, nation-wide campaign featuring high powered consultants, etc. But there are some.

Left of center folks tend to think good job performance ought to be enough retain one's office. "If I can just make these folks understand what a good job I'm doing, I'll win in a landslide". Many years ago, I lost an election thinking this way and lost very badly.

Back to the Edwards campaign. There is a sizable group of volunteer activists like me who look for unfair attacks on our candidate and respond immediately. Obviously, the formal campaign staff does too.

The Mayor (I assume) has a pretty compact paid campaign group. It becomes very important then, for his supporters to take the lead addressing the nonstop nonsense emanating from Juan Manigault and his group. It also tends to mean more coming from citizens with nothing in particular to gain. Nothing that is, except good governance.

I suspect the Mayor is still in the stronger position. But complacency among his supporters could be his undoing.

Democracy is not a spectator sport.

Don Wheeler