Guest Columnist Thomas Duda
Guest columnist Phillip Johnson’s column “The abyss of political insignificance” features misstatements of fact that compel me to respond.
Johnson’s contention that “one month before the filing deadline [for mayor], not a single opposing candidate had filed” is patently false, as former Alderwoman Irene J. Smith filed for Mayor on November 24, 2008 – the first day of filing and the same day as Francis G. Slay.
Johnson’s insinuation that certain St. Louisans view widespread voter disengagement during the March and April elections as something other than tragic stands divorced from reality; rather, The St. Louis American’s acknowledgement that Slay failed to win a single majority-black ward in either election serves as a means to contextualize the strength of Slay’s mandate.
As fewer St. Louisans in both March and April supported Slay than voted for John McCain in November 2008, Slay’s claims to leadership of our city are but the hollow utterances of a right-wing zealot.
Finally, comparisons between the 2009 elections and Freeman Bosley Jr.’s successful 1993 victory in the Democratic primary for mayor are grossly inappropriate, for in the past six years alone, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city’s black resident population declined by 4,000. While Slay’s political base remained at a constant level, Irene J. Smith’s core of support eroded through an out-migration to St. Louis County.
I am a lifelong resident of the Holly Hills neighborhood, located in the 11th Ward near Carondelet Park. The candidacy of Irene J. Smith, grossly mischaracterized in Johnson’s column, was indeed transformational. Irene’s unyielding support for our public schools, call for dramatic increases in affordable housing availability, and belief that St. Louis can come together as a city for all inspired not only my family, but our neighbors as well.
I can only imagine what our up-the-street neighbor Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson thought of the “Irene J. Smith for Mayor” signs on our block!
To guest columnist Johnson, I ask that he please reconsider his offensive characterization of the Irene J. Smith campaign as a “fraud.”
Please keep in mind that Irene had far fewer campaign resources available for canvassing and direct mail than did President Obama or Mayor Slay.
Please consider that the pervasive biases in local mainstream media effectively silenced the Smith campaign for large groups of the city’s population.
Please give Irene’s innovative public relations director credit for helping to make Irene the first mayoral candidate in St. Louis to use Twitter and other nontraditional media.
Please recognize the tremendous grass-roots support expended on behalf of the Smith campaign by Irene’s many family, friends, and new supporters.
Please acknowledge that Irene refused to be bound by political convention by actively courting support from LGBT-identified St. Louisans with a press conference at MoKaBe’s.
Irene’s campaign, in contrast to Johnson’s distorted account, broke new ground and initiated a process to bring all of St. Louis together. Unfortunately, she came up short; to say anything else is a fraud.