More BS

In the interest of fairness, I'm posting a link to Brandi Swindell's website, where she (or someone) rails against Dan Popkey's column and what the BS campaign perceives to be its focus on Swindell's good looks.

She has a point that Popkey's comments verged on sexism. But Swindell ignores what I believe was by far the main thesis of Popkey's column: that the Idaho GOP is using her campaign to insert partisan politics and religion into what ought to be a nuts-and-bolts city council race. And I also believe Popkey is genuinely concerned - as are most Boiseans - that the city council ought not be made Swindell's bully pulpit for fundamentalist thought. (Look at her reasons for running and see if a few of them don't give you pause.)

To bring the gender card back into this, I've said before that I think it's very cool that a young woman is running for office. But she happens to be a young woman who has made a national reputation in lobbying for a religious viewpoint representing perhaps only a fourth of the American population, at most - hardly the "shared community values" she mentions on her website. Swindell portrays herself as a feminist when it serves her purposes, but she works hard, very hard indeed, to deny Americans freedom of (or from) religion, not to mention a woman's basic human right to conscientiously, prayerfully, and privately decide what's best for her body, her family, and her life.

Comments

[Shane]

I'll be very surprised to see how this election turns out. A lot of the more extreme conservatives like her but “normal” conservatives like myself think she's a little crazy. I think a lot of people are looking for change though, and she'll definitely bring that. I do like her stance on taxes, limited government, and listening to what the people want in cases like the Ten Commandments issue but she's way too far for me. This should be very interesting Julie...

[Julie in Boise]

No kidding, Shane.

My prediction: Swindell will lose, but Tibbs will win. Normal conservatives will send the anti-incumbent vote via the former police chief, leaving them able to more freely perish the thought of electing Brandi.

The key, though, is a big turnout from the liberal and moderate folks, who will strongly oppose Swindell and probably split on Tibbs/Mapp over the annexation/infill issue. The fundi-cons will be out in force; the rest of us need to be, too.

[Kitt]

Well, I'm here to tell ya - she's done a good job of alienating those in my own family who don't vote in the manner I think they should.

Mary Ann Jordan lives in the same subdivision as my sister, which is 'flooded' with people who are in their church ward. (A good indication which 'church') Jordan has been a neighbor for years & years - 15+. They don't support Ms Swindell nor will they vote for her, regardless of her 'christian' rubric.

[bigdub]

Check the North End Neighborhood Association newsletter and you'll see that she's taken the exact wording of the questions posed to her by NENA and posted them on her website at under Why Brandi's Running, without giving credit to the original author(s). Sheesh.

RE: Popkey's "sexism:" it's much more insulting to women that she feels she needs to dress like a hotte and get glamor photos done in order to get media attention. I'm all for people dressing the way they want, but as a voter I look to my elected officials to take me seriously as a person of intelligence and not as a horny dude who just wants to vote in a pretty face with a hot body.

[Julie in Boise]

Bigdub (above),

That's fascinating (and cheesy) about the NENA newsletter. Do you have a link to the newsletter online? I'd like to blog about that.

[Kitt]

Julie:

There a Boise City Council Candidate Forum @ Boise Library - Wed, Oct.26th @ 7PM.

Yesterday I received this newsletter (email) from the Brandi campaign. It's the usual stuff. There are two items of note: 1) the mention of church directories & dropping them off at campaign headquarters; 2) Maryanne's 'campaign is getting "more aggressive".

I can forward a copy for verification if you like.

_______________________________

[Dear friends of Brandi for City Council,

[We've got just over 2 weeks to go.... We are getting reports that Maryanne Jordan's Campaign is getting more and more aggressive. Please be ready to stand with Brandi the last 2 weeks to 10 days of this campaign......][Brandi will be at the candidate's forum on Wednesday, October 26th at 7pm at the Boise Public Library. ......]

[We need VOLUNTEERS to staff the office. .... You can also help us out at home! Do you have a church directory? Please take a few moments to call everyone in your directory that lives in Boise. Remind them to vote on November 8th, and encourage them to vote for Brandi. If you cannot call everyone in the directory, drop it off at our offices, and one of our volunteers will gladly help you out.]

Kitt

[Kitt]

Julie:

There a Boise City Council Candidate Forum @ Boise Library - Wed, Oct.26th @ 7PM.

Yesterday I received this newsletter (email) from the Brandi campaign. It's the usual stuff. There are two items of note: 1) the mention of church directories & dropping them off at campaign headquarters; 2) Maryanne's 'campaign is getting "more aggressive".

I can forward a copy for verification if you like.

_______________________________

[Dear friends of Brandi for City Council,

[We've got just over 2 weeks to go.... We are getting reports that Maryanne Jordan's Campaign is getting more and more aggressive. Please be ready to stand with Brandi the last 2 weeks to 10 days of this campaign......][Brandi will be at the candidate's forum on Wednesday, October 26th at 7pm at the Boise Public Library. ......]

[We need VOLUNTEERS to staff the office. .... You can also help us out at home! Do you have a church directory? Please take a few moments to call everyone in your directory that lives in Boise. Remind them to vote on November 8th, and encourage them to vote for Brandi. If you cannot call everyone in the directory, drop it off at our offices, and one of our volunteers will gladly help you out.]

Kitt