Been meaning to post this for a few days but away with work.
I'm just wondering how useful you think aligning yourself so strongly with a direct opponent of Arpaio's is likely to be. I'm not being nasty here, but there are 2 basic facts about american politics here that would suggest staying away from directly endorsing his opponents; (1) American politics is dirty, dishonest, and rarely about the issues over image, and (2) no person in the US ever got elected saying they would improve jail conditions.
What I'm saying is that it wouldn't be that difficult for Arpaio's office to issue a press release saying "my opponent is supported by drug lords" and use your blog to support this. Election adverts would follow. You know yourself how the media can distort things, and make a fair hearing impossible.
What I'm saying is that you may do more harm than good - if arpaio has a half competent team around him then your support will be used as a stick to beat Mike Stauffer with.
I think your best bet is to do what you have been doing, exposing the conditions, and avoid getting behind a specific candidate. Stauffer is also better off saying things along the lines of "of course I want drug dealers and criminals to be punished, but I also don't want the gangs to control my prisons and lead to taxpayers money paid out in lawsuits".
Ultimately it is going to be economics that end the insanity of the prison industrial complex, not appeals to the better nature of what is frankly a vengeful and uneducated electorate easily led by sensationalist media
Kindly provided by Gail who said Arpaio accosted the protestors with the remark, "You're all gonna be disappointed when I get reelected!"
Love the mugshot of the day.
ReplyDeleteShaun,
ReplyDeleteBeen meaning to post this for a few days but away with work.
I'm just wondering how useful you think aligning yourself so strongly with a direct opponent of Arpaio's is likely to be. I'm not being nasty here, but there are 2 basic facts about american politics here that would suggest staying away from directly endorsing his opponents; (1) American politics is dirty, dishonest, and rarely about the issues over image, and (2) no person in the US ever got elected saying they would improve jail conditions.
What I'm saying is that it wouldn't be that difficult for Arpaio's office to issue a press release saying "my opponent is supported by drug lords" and use your blog to support this. Election adverts would follow. You know yourself how the media can distort things, and make a fair hearing impossible.
What I'm saying is that you may do more harm than good - if arpaio has a half competent team around him then your support will be used as a stick to beat Mike Stauffer with.
I think your best bet is to do what you have been doing, exposing the conditions, and avoid getting behind a specific candidate. Stauffer is also better off saying things along the lines of "of course I want drug dealers and criminals to be punished, but I also don't want the gangs to control my prisons and lead to taxpayers money paid out in lawsuits".
Ultimately it is going to be economics that end the insanity of the prison industrial complex, not appeals to the better nature of what is frankly a vengeful and uneducated electorate easily led by sensationalist media
Jim