The season was late arriving, but now it is no longer safe to open your mailbox. Actually, all I ever get in my mailbox is bills anyway, so I'm not sure it was ever safe. However, opening the mailbox we got our first round of mailings from candidates.
The Vanguard has scanned a mailing from each of the four school board candidates and will now commentate upon them. All of these comments relate only to the material and should not be construed as endorsement or lack of support.
I have to start off with Richard Harris because he gives me such good material. Richard Harris
who has raised - at least according to the last release - by far the most money, spends that money by essentially photocopying the Davis Enterprise endorsements and then writing a message on it: "I'd appreciate your vote! Thanks Richard Harris."
A couple of things immediately come to mind besides the sheer audacity of the effort. For one thing, he sent us photocopies of the newspaper article rather than trying to incorporate it into a flier. But you would think Mr. Green Schools would have printed it on recycled paper--right? If he did, it does not indicate it on the flier.
Second, I notice that it says, "Reprinted with permission from the Davis Enterprise." So now the Davis Enterprise is not only giving endorsements but allowing their articles to be used as campaign materials. I do have to give Richard Harris credit here, after all, who would not want to use the Davis Enterprise Endorsement as a campaign material. Moreover, at least he asked permission to reprint the Davis Enterprise article, unlike one of his opponents, Susan Lovenburg who copied and pasted articles into her website without seeking permission (which has now been taken down as of this morning).
Speaking of Lovenburg, did she have to pay for the free props in Harris' piece, the headline reads "Cast votes for Harris, Lovenburg." I hope this is somehow marked down as an in-kind donation.
On to Susan Lovenburg's actual piece. Half page postcard with statements from Former Superintendent of Schools Delaine Eastin,
Former Davis School Board Member Marty West, and current Mayor Pro Tem and Former Davis School Board Member Ruth Asmundson. Fairly classic design. Two thoughts here in form of critique. When we read the quotes, it did not sound like Marty West or Ruth Asmundson. It sounded like someone else wrote the quotes and Marty West and Ruth Asmundson signed on. It happens all the time in politics, and maybe I am wrong here. It just struck me, I cannot remember the last time Asmundson used the word "pinnacle."
The only other critique I have, is that I know she selected these three because they are all "school" people. However, Susan Lovenburg is also endorsed by Davis City Councilmember Lamar Heystek. Putting someone on her mailer like Councilmember Heystek balances out the endorsements and gives progressives someone they can relate to. I know, he is not a former school board member, but I believe the piece would have been stronger with a quote from Councilmember Lamar Heystek.
Then we have Joe Spector.
Joe Spector is not going middle of the road. He is flat out going for the Progressive Vote with this piece. It is a letter signed by Dick Livingston and Former Davis Major Ken Wagstaff. Joe Spector comes out with a strong message clearly tailored for the Progressive wing of the city: keep Valley Oak School Open, preserve Nugget Fields, Close the Achievement Gap, Keep Developer, Lobbyist, and Outside-of-Davis money out of this election.
I wonder who that last line was aimed at...
The most intriguing aspect of the flier is the message at the bottom: "Recommended by Davis Teacher's Association Political Action Committee and Representative Council." Originally, Joe Spector was endorsed by the Davis Teachers Association, but after the long ordeal, the DTA has rescinded their endorsements of Joe Spector and Susan Lovenburg. The DTA has decided to endorse no one in the school board race. So Joe Spector is left with that "recommended" statement.
Finally, we have Bob Schelen. Somehow
Bob Schelen was able to get the endorsement of the Democratic Party in both Yolo County and Davis without Richard Harris, a long time political operative and member of the Democratic Party. Bob Schelen is the only endorsed candidate.
Not only that, but because the Democratic Party endorsed both Measure P and Measure Q, Bob Schelen gets to be on a slate card paid for by... the Davis Democratic Club and sent out to all of the households.
I do not know how he was able to get that accomplished. But that might be the political coup of the year so far. So all of the people in this town who do not even know that there is a school board election, but they are Democrats and they vote in every election will look at this and vote for Bob Schelen. Unbelievable.
My one critique of the piece is the quote from Lyle Smith, who is the campaign manager for Bob Schelen. The quote itself is good, but Bob Schelen has major endorsements from Jack O'Connell, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Lt. Governor John Garamendi, several of the County Supervisors, School Board President Jim Provenza, City Councilmembers... Come on, you have to put a big name there not your campaign manager.
This was just the first round of fliers, there will be much more to come. The Vanguard will examine some of the more interesting future mailers as they emerge during the course of the campaign in our poor unsuspecting and beleaguered mailboxes.
---Doug Paul Davis reporting
The Vanguard has scanned a mailing from each of the four school board candidates and will now commentate upon them. All of these comments relate only to the material and should not be construed as endorsement or lack of support.
I have to start off with Richard Harris because he gives me such good material. Richard Harris
who has raised - at least according to the last release - by far the most money, spends that money by essentially photocopying the Davis Enterprise endorsements and then writing a message on it: "I'd appreciate your vote! Thanks Richard Harris."A couple of things immediately come to mind besides the sheer audacity of the effort. For one thing, he sent us photocopies of the newspaper article rather than trying to incorporate it into a flier. But you would think Mr. Green Schools would have printed it on recycled paper--right? If he did, it does not indicate it on the flier.
Second, I notice that it says, "Reprinted with permission from the Davis Enterprise." So now the Davis Enterprise is not only giving endorsements but allowing their articles to be used as campaign materials. I do have to give Richard Harris credit here, after all, who would not want to use the Davis Enterprise Endorsement as a campaign material. Moreover, at least he asked permission to reprint the Davis Enterprise article, unlike one of his opponents, Susan Lovenburg who copied and pasted articles into her website without seeking permission (which has now been taken down as of this morning).
Speaking of Lovenburg, did she have to pay for the free props in Harris' piece, the headline reads "Cast votes for Harris, Lovenburg." I hope this is somehow marked down as an in-kind donation.
On to Susan Lovenburg's actual piece. Half page postcard with statements from Former Superintendent of Schools Delaine Eastin,
Former Davis School Board Member Marty West, and current Mayor Pro Tem and Former Davis School Board Member Ruth Asmundson. Fairly classic design. Two thoughts here in form of critique. When we read the quotes, it did not sound like Marty West or Ruth Asmundson. It sounded like someone else wrote the quotes and Marty West and Ruth Asmundson signed on. It happens all the time in politics, and maybe I am wrong here. It just struck me, I cannot remember the last time Asmundson used the word "pinnacle."The only other critique I have, is that I know she selected these three because they are all "school" people. However, Susan Lovenburg is also endorsed by Davis City Councilmember Lamar Heystek. Putting someone on her mailer like Councilmember Heystek balances out the endorsements and gives progressives someone they can relate to. I know, he is not a former school board member, but I believe the piece would have been stronger with a quote from Councilmember Lamar Heystek.
Then we have Joe Spector.
Joe Spector is not going middle of the road. He is flat out going for the Progressive Vote with this piece. It is a letter signed by Dick Livingston and Former Davis Major Ken Wagstaff. Joe Spector comes out with a strong message clearly tailored for the Progressive wing of the city: keep Valley Oak School Open, preserve Nugget Fields, Close the Achievement Gap, Keep Developer, Lobbyist, and Outside-of-Davis money out of this election.I wonder who that last line was aimed at...
The most intriguing aspect of the flier is the message at the bottom: "Recommended by Davis Teacher's Association Political Action Committee and Representative Council." Originally, Joe Spector was endorsed by the Davis Teachers Association, but after the long ordeal, the DTA has rescinded their endorsements of Joe Spector and Susan Lovenburg. The DTA has decided to endorse no one in the school board race. So Joe Spector is left with that "recommended" statement.
Finally, we have Bob Schelen. Somehow
Bob Schelen was able to get the endorsement of the Democratic Party in both Yolo County and Davis without Richard Harris, a long time political operative and member of the Democratic Party. Bob Schelen is the only endorsed candidate.Not only that, but because the Democratic Party endorsed both Measure P and Measure Q, Bob Schelen gets to be on a slate card paid for by... the Davis Democratic Club and sent out to all of the households.
I do not know how he was able to get that accomplished. But that might be the political coup of the year so far. So all of the people in this town who do not even know that there is a school board election, but they are Democrats and they vote in every election will look at this and vote for Bob Schelen. Unbelievable.
My one critique of the piece is the quote from Lyle Smith, who is the campaign manager for Bob Schelen. The quote itself is good, but Bob Schelen has major endorsements from Jack O'Connell, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Lt. Governor John Garamendi, several of the County Supervisors, School Board President Jim Provenza, City Councilmembers... Come on, you have to put a big name there not your campaign manager.
This was just the first round of fliers, there will be much more to come. The Vanguard will examine some of the more interesting future mailers as they emerge during the course of the campaign in our poor unsuspecting and beleaguered mailboxes.
---Doug Paul Davis reporting
