It started with listening to Sly on Madison's WTDY earlier this week. I normally enjoy going to his show's blog and listening to segments of the show. This is especially true because in Milwaukee we have no real alternatives to the right wing madness traveling our airwaves. However this week Sly has been conducting what I view as unfair one-sided attacks on Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.
In several cases both Sly and his guests have rushed to conclusions that are frankly ridiculous. Tom Barrett = Scott Walker? Are you serious? Barrett is "cozying up to Charlie Sykes"?? Because he did an interview with him? Really? Then he and several of his guests reference a very selectively edited video to draw all kinds of absurd conclusions?
I'm not saying that people should not voice their criticisms of Tom Barrett or any other candidate but at least do so in a substantive way. If you want to spend all of your time renegotiating City of Milwaukee contracts, then feel free to focus on that one issue. But in my view this election is much broader in scope and there is far too much at stake for that approach. And if you are going to make that your primary focus, at some point someone should be offered a chance for a rebuttal.
But these over-the-top smears, out-of-context videos and charged hyperbole are really not necessary. Frankly this kind of an attack is something that I fully expect from Republicans. I don't expect it from friends and allies because it is counterproductive no matter who wins the Democratic primary.
By all means, enthusiastically get behind your favorite candidate! Feel free to make your case to everyone that will listen. But please do it on the merits of your case and not by acting like a Wisconsin Republican or by employing their kinds of tactics.
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4 comments:
Pegging Barrett as more moderate only serves to make him more electable against Walker. So maybe rather than being naively shortsighted, perhaps Sly et al are cunningly strategic.
jimspice, I wish that were so. But no, the Madisonians seem to think that they own this campaign and the governorship -- because thousands of us came there last spring. Well, that's where the Capitol is. We didn't come there to see Sly. Or Falk.
Enough with the Madison Dems' mindset in the governorship. We don't need a reprise of Doyle, with his actions against state employees.
I trust Barrett. I have watched him closely for decades, and he is never duplicitous like this. And now that I have seen this nonsense -- I no longer am undecided, and Barrett has my vote.
SLY'S unrelenting critisim of Barrett will in the end define both candidates.
If it is SLY's intent to do so - he will succeed.
My impression of Barrett is that he was fair with the unions. Barrett has always been concerned about how these changes will affect city employees.
Calling Barrett a pussy on live radio is uncalled for.
SLY- yes you have been know to change your mind. The goal is to put Walker back in Tosa. Keep that in mind. We will get our CB rights back. It just may not be on your terms.
Should we fight extremism with extremism?
Love your show - just not your extremism right now.
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