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    • The Bully Pulpit

    Posted on | November 17, 2009 | 2 Comments

    According to Wikipedia, a bully pulpit is  “a public office or other position of authority of sufficiently high rank that provides the holder with an opportunity to speak out and be listened to on any matter. The bully pulpit can bring issues to the forefront that were not initially in debate, due to the office’s stature and publicity.”

    In the current Houston mayoral race, however, the bullies have taken over the pulpit. And in what’s supposed to be a non-partisan race, they have emerged from the partisan hacks on both sides.

    When I first started paying attention to the mayoral race, I thought, “This is great: for the first time in a long time, the three most viable candidates for the position have similar positions on the issues; and, for the most part, those are positions I agree with. We’ll be able to vote for the BEST of three candidates, rather than the lesser of several evils.”

    As a staffer for former City Council Member Gordon Quan, I knew a bit about Peter Brown and Annise Parker, and was inclined to support Brown. Then I went to a couple of mayoral forums and saw what the candidates had to say on the issues. That was my introduction to Gene Locke. After seeing and hearing his answers to a variety of tough questions, I thought he was the best candidate to lead Houston. And when his campaign came knocking on my door, I wholeheartedly agreed to support Gene as his social media strategist. Then, as his liaison for Asian/Pacific American outreach. Then, as his liaison for Young Professionals.

    As I got to know Gene, my faith in his experience, insight, and ability to lead was further confirmed. At no point in any of our meetings within the campaign and with the community did he ever make any promises or “backroom deals” to curry favor from various groups. He would simply state what he supports, and if it aligned with what the community supported, they would express it. Enthusiastically. He would always seek everyone’s feedback, and has always been very thorough and thoughtful in considering what would be best for everyone before making any decisions.

    Then the race sped up. People became more passionate about the candidates they backed. With the passion, came the fury…and with the fury, came the bullying. Baseless rumors, unfounded accusations, and personal attacks started flying. When they first started, Gene called on all the candidates to join him in disavowing negative attacks that impugned personal character rather than challenged candidates on the issues. You can see his statements on those attacks here, here, and here.

    Sadly, to this day Gene remains the only mayoral candidate to exhibit this type of integrity and respect. When Annie’s List, a group that supports Annise Parker with money and a paid staffer, sent out a mass email that attempted to malign Gene’s character by misleading people with items taken out of context or created by a third party without campaign approval, Parker did not disavow their mudslinging tactics. While many other Annie’s List members who weren’t Locke supporters at the time expressed their disappointment with the “debasing” email, Parker and her supporters chose a different route: they picked it up and ran with it.

    Now that Parker and Locke have made the runoff, the anti-gay bullies are coming out of the woodwork. And instead of elevating the debate to focus on the issues, the anti-Locke bullies are attempting to tie Gene to them. As KPRC reporter Mary Benton said: “Locke is between a rock and a hard place.” How do you hold an intelligent conversation with people, and try to bring them together to work on the bigger issues we face, when they’d rather focus on smearing you?

    Annise Parker has also met with conservatives and ministers throughout the campaign. When running for office in Houston, it’s unavoidable. However, the Locke campaign has never resorted to the same type of divisive rhetoric nor made the same type of extrapolations to tie Parker to them. Doing so would be absurd. Just as it is for her supporters to do it to Gene.

    If I were in Gene’s position, I don’t know what I would do. It’s much easier for me – and for many Houstonians – to spout their positions when they don’t have to consider the impact it would have on any other part of Houston. Because at the end of the day, Locke and Parker are running for an office that would affect ALL of Houston, not just the inner-loop insiders, not just the west or east sides of town, not just the ethnic and cultural enclaves of Houston, but ALL of our city. It’s a tough job, but just as I’ve seen him do what’s right throughout meetings with various Houstonians, I trust Gene to do what’s right for Houston.

    All I hope for is, when this race is over and the people have voted on December 12th, that the divisive rhetoric employed by the bullies in their pulpits will not have harmed the movement for progress in Houston. I hope that the people who are making these attacks will not have pitted the progressive groups against one another so much that the rift will be difficult to repair once the election is over. Because if the bullies succeed, the movement for equality will be divided and weakened by groups who want to exploit fear and hate for political gain…and the opportunity for educated, issues-oriented civic engagement will have reverted back to politics as usual.

    I believe Rabbi Amy Weiss said it best in “Houston Belief : Believe Out Loud”:

    Please don’t let the fear and ignorance of one group sway how you vote. Vote for the mayoral candidate who has the same vision for the city that you have in your mind. Vote for the person who you believe has the experience and the know how to make this city clean, fiscally and socially responsible. Don’t be bullied by the bullies, in this election or anywhere else.

    My vote has been, and continues to be, for the only person who has exhibited the integrity and courage to stand up and do the right thing: Gene Locke for Mayor of Houston.

    … and for the record, if the naysayers want to disqualify my opinion by suggesting it was “paid for,” I can only say it was unsolicited and it is genuinely my own. I considered removing myself from the campaign team so I could continue to support Gene without the bullies belaboring the point, but people helped me realize I shouldn’t give in to the partisan hacks. I’ve got the best of both worlds – working for someone I believe in while paying my bills – and if I let anyone bully me out of it, I should be ashamed for letting them. So sorry, bullies: I’m in this for the long-run. And from now on, I’m engaging only on issues. You can keep your bull to yourself.

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    Comments

    2 Responses to “The Bully Pulpit”

    1. MaryBeth Smith
      November 17th, 2009 @ 9:11 am

      Another thoughtful and articulate post, thank you.

      I started out as an Annise Parker supporter. I think her supporters have gotten out of control, and I started to turn off when the “jump on the bandwagon” approach started to get heavy handed. The Annie’s List episode raised some red flags for me.

      You, Grace, got me curious about Gene Locke, and I’ve been impressed. For once I have detached from media-driven appetites for flash and dash — that ain’t Gene. He is thoughtful, even-handed, and a man of vision. His experience is not restricted to committees, feasibility studies, and balance sheets. He has actually taken ideas and turned them into tangible realities. This is what I am looking for in Houston’s next mayor.

    2. grace
      November 17th, 2009 @ 1:42 pm

      Thanks, MaryBeth. Coming from someone as carefully considerate and insightful as you, I take your comment as a great compliment. And once I share this with Gene, I’m sure he’ll send you his thanks, too!

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