“font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;”>In journalism, there is a standard practice of listing people “not pictured” in photographs where the reader might have expected those people to appear. In the photo coverage of “font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;”>Susan Montee “font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;”>announcing her candidacy for Missouri Lieutenant Governor at
City Hall
“font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;”>last week, the people “not pictured” list is very interesting and tells a story that was missing from news reports of her announcement.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Consider the people not pictured with Montee, because they were not present: U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay, President of the Board of Aldermen Lewis Reed, Comptroller Darlene Green, County Executive Charlie A. Dooley, License Collector Michael McMillan, Treasurer Larry Williams, state Sen. Robin Wright-Jones, state Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, state Rep. Steve Webb (chair of the Legislative Black Caucus), state Rep. Tishaura O. Jones, state Rep. Chris Carter, state Rep. Jamilah Nasheed, state Rep. Penny Hubbard, state Rep. Clem Smith, state Rep. Karla May, Alderman Terry Kennedy (chair of the Aldermanic Black Caucus), Ald. Greg Carter, Ald. Marlene Davis, Ald. Sam Moore, Ald. Frank Williamson, Ald. Kacie Starr Triplett, Ald. Antonio French, Ald. Tamika Hubbard.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Do you get the drift? These are all African-American elected officials who represent parts of the St. Louis region – and the list could be extended to include many other black elected officials, current and former. These are black people who know where to find votes – mostly black votes. They did not stand beside Susan Montee when she announced a statewide campaign as a Democrat in a majority-black city.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>If you wonder how a Democrat could lose to incumbent Republican Peter Kinder, after the rough 2011 he had, Montee seems to have found the blueprint. A Democrat could lose by not energizing the base. Montee is well on her way to not energizing the base.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>This is a terrible omen for the Missouri Democratic Party going into a presidential election year when a black man is at the top of their ticket and black turnout will be a decisive factor in many elections. “font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;”>
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>‘Why should I support her?’
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>The EYE spent some time corresponding with and talking to black elected officials who were not pictured with Montee on her big day. Some had been invited; others were not aware of an invite. No one was surprised at the nearly “Whites Only” turnout.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>One state representative said Montee didn’t hire black people to work for her when she was State Auditor or when she was chair for the Missouri Democratic Party. “Why would she do anything different now?” he asked.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Others recalled all the talk about recruiting a black statewide candidate to replace Secretary of State Robin Carnahan. That never happened. A young white man from Kansas City (state Rep. Jason Kander) came out of the gate with every endorsement in the state. Others recalled that Montee as party chair was supposed to find a Lieutenant Governor candidate. She found herself.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Four of these elected officials who were not pictured with Montee go to work every day in City Hall, the very building where Montee held her press event. What would it have taken them to walk down the hall and stand up in support of a fellow Democrat?
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>One of these citywide elected officials remembered when Montee’s office was auditing the City of St. Louis. He said, “All those months they were in and out of here, auditing this majority-black city, I never saw one single African American who worked for her. Not one. Why should I support her?” “font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;”>
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>The Slay factor “font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;”>
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>A senior staffer for another citywide elected official told an even more telling story. This official initially received a personal call from Montee asking for support and participation at the press event, which was granted. Later, a Montee campaign staffer contacted the elected official’s chief staffer to say that Mayor Francis G. Slay wasn’t too excited about sharing the limelight with this particular black elected official. “I told the guy who called me, ‘Let me make this easy for you,’ the black citywide official’s staffer said. “I told him to take our name off everything and forget about it.”
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Indeed, understanding why none of these black people were pictured with Montee, one need only look at who is pictured. Their presence explains most of the absences.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Start with Slay, Montee’s host. The EYE understands how Montee might have thought it was a coup to have the mayor’s support. Kinder has called Slay a friend, and Slay has supported Kinder in the past. Slay and his core advisors love to think in terms of toxicity, who is and isn’t politically toxic. This event seemed to be an announcement that Kinder had turned toxic and Slay was supporting the candidate from his own party for a change.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>For this, Montee seemed willing to trade in all of the public support from black elected officialdom in the St. Louis metropolitan area. St. Louis County Councilwoman Hazel Erby seemed to be the only black elected official willing to join the Slay party for Montee. Again, a terrible omen for the Missouri Democratic Party. “font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;”>
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Wahby’s buddy “font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;”>
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>But Slay did not come to his party alone, not quite. Opposite him was Brian Wahby, the chair of the city’s Central Democratic Committee. That is important, right? Having the city Dem’s chair there?
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Not so much. Wahby seems determined to remain chair of the Central Committee during a presidential election cycle even though he is one of the candidates on the ballot. What is more, Wahby is running for Treasurer, calling for reforms of the office as managed by incumbent Larry Williams, who is said to be stepping down after waves of bad press following the indictment of a staffer.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Larry Williams is an African American who has held his seat, approximately, forever. Treasurer is thus seen in local political circles as a “black seat,” so Wahby filing for it made him no new black friends. Further, Williams has always been very supportive of Wahby, giving him work and contracts, so Wahby is seen as a back-stabber as well.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Standing up there with Wahby isn’t earning Montee any new friends, either.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Who else do we have in this picture? The other white man in the Treasurer’s race, Ald. Fred Wessels. Wessels’ support is sure to drive away most of the black folks who weren’t already driven off by Slay and Wahby. We also have staunch aldermanic allies of Slay and Martin Casas, Young Democrats operative and a sort of Brian Wahby Jr. Casas is another non-black person who has filed for a black seat, the newly redistricted state House seat being vacated by Tishaura Jones to run for Treasurer. Casas will have an African-American primary opponent in Michael Butler, a staffer for Robin Wright-Jones. You can add Butler to that long list of people “not pictured.” You can add Casas as another (minor) turn-off for garnering black support.
