Voter guide freakout
10/23/2007 - 3:06pm
Who knew it was so embarrassing to be identified as a Democrat? Jennifer Herrera, running for Cherry Creek School board, went into panic mode when it happened to her on Sunday. She had seen my Denver Post column where she and several other suburban candidates are cited as examples of the fog that envelops local elections when voters are denied the assistance of party labels in making their choices.
In the column, I didn't even state a preference between Ms. Herrera and her opponent for Board District A, the formerly Republican, now independent, Jim O'Brien. Nor did I identify myself as a Republican or say anything critical of Democrats. I simply made the respectable political-science argument that elections for all offices at all levels go better when R's and D's -- as well as minor parties, if any -- are competitively involved.
But the mere "outing" of Herrera's party registration (her word, see below) was too much for Jumpy Jennifer. She fired off an emergency email to supporters asking for letters to the Post and comments to my website, BackboneAmerica.net, where the column also appeared. Suddenly it was as though her opponent was not O'Brien, but Andrews.
I became, in her telling, a "politician" who has "already done enough damage," who doesn't realize we should "leave education to educational experts" -- like her, presumably. I was indicted, convicted, and sentenced as someone who "wants to turn our children into poker chips in a twisted partisan poker game."
Wow, I haven't been flamed with such invective since the 2003 redistricting fight. No, I guess the lawyers and judges also demonized me pretty roundly during the 2006 judicial term limits campaign. But Ms. Herrera, or whoever writes this stuff for her, is right up there in the howling indignation department. All quite amusing, really.
Angela Engel, another teacher-union Democrat in Cherry Creek -- she lost a close race for State House to Spencer Swalm last year and may run again next year -- was one of the few that I know of who answered the Herrera distress call. Engel wrote a letter scolding the Post for letting me make "endorsements" which she termed "advertisements rather than newsworthy" and a "blatant abuse of journalistic privileges." But when I challenged her to find any whiff of endorsement in my Oct. 21 column, she veered off into illogic. (See our exchange in full, below.)
Endorsements do abound in my online voter guide for Centennial and vicinity, posted Oct. 19, but they are offered in a tone of rationality and civility which is sadly lacking in the screeds from Jennifer Herrera and Angela Engel. The voter guide posting even concludes with a word of thanks to all who are running in this year's elections, regardless of party. This Republican always tries to take a grownup approach. Our political process -- and yes, ladies, that's exactly what it is, not a resume runoff for experts -- can do without the childish rants from some of my Democratic neighbors.
For the record, here are the relevant emails as cited above:
Blast email from Jennifer Herrera 10/21/07
Candidate Cherry Creek School Board - District A
http://www.JenniferHerrera2007.com
Jennifer@JenniferHerrera2007.com
(303)731-2096
I Need Your Help
School Board races are non-partisan. You know that, I know that but someone forgot to tell my neighbor John Andrews. He has decided that he needs to out all the candidates' affiliations in the Denver Post. He believes this is the best way to hurt my campaign. We can't let this go unanswered.
It is sad that John Andrews wants to turn our children into poker chips in a twisted partisan poker game. Our kids are not Democrats or Republicans and education is the most important thing we do. I am not running to push any kind of partisan agenda. I am running for the school board because I am a mother and an educator, and I care about making sure that every child in our schools is able to achieve to their full potential. Our future as a nation depends on how well we succeed at preparing our kids for their own futures.
People like Mr. Andrews have done enough damage. Leave education to educational experts and not politicians like him. Mr. Andrews, you can keep your divisive partisan politics. I don't want it in my son's third grade classroom.
Don't let this partisan article go unanswered. Contact the Denver Post today [at address provided]. To read [Andrews'] Backbone column online [go to link provided] You can leave a comment at the bottom.
-----------------------------------------------------
Email from Angela Engel to Greg Moore, Denver Post, copy to John Andrews, 10/23 755am... Dear Mr. Moore: I was very disappointed that you would accept John Andrews' column for publication in Sunday's Post. Having a degree in communications and as a writer, I see Andrews' endorsements as advertisements rather than newsworthy. I would politely request that you correct Andrews' blatant abuse of journalistic privileges and reserve political advertisement for paying customers. Respectfully, Angela Engel, Centennial resident
Andrews replies to Engel 10/23 1010am... Hello, Angela: Naturally we differ about whom to vote for, but you will have to show me where in my 10/21 column there is a single "endorsement." Find me any, explicit or even implied, and I will buy you dinner at Morton's. In fact I will buy you Morton's Inc. Best of luck, thanks for writing - JA
Engel replies to Andrews 10/23 1026am... John: "You and your wife vote" and you vote Republican. Implicit or explicit this is an endorsement. I love Morton's.
Andrews replies to Engel 10/23 1040am... Nice try, but those college degrees of yours clearly didn't include logic. You know I vote Republican, but the reader of the column has no way of knowing that without further research - no way at all. In communications, if it included any journalism, they should have taught you that a news story has to stand on its own, informing the reader of all relevant facts - so that no prior knowledge or clairvoyance is required to make sense of what's there on the page. By that standard, my piece endorsed no one. It was purely a political-science discussion (did you ever study that?), not a recommendation for voting this way or that. Stop by my house, around the corner from Jennifer Herrera, and I will give you a McDonald's coupon for effort - but no steak dinner this time. Onward with civility - JA
Bookmark/Search this post with:
John the Con.
Ah yes. John Andrews the gentleman. John is rational, civil, and always takes the "grown up approach". While John's "Democratic neighbors" veer off into illogic and howling indignation, John takes the high road. John is above it all always pure and never wrong. John is still fuming over his dirty tricks in the State Senate trying to gerrymander the districts. The "activist judges" had the good sense to toss him and his tricksters out of court. John now spends his idle days whining about Islam and crusading with Tancredo and Dobson. Give me a break!
Leaving out the details
Mr. Andrews again leaves out the relevant details. Our exchange is posted in its entirety below. Not only did he conveniently only post part of our exchange (his) but he also forgot to mention Mr. Shen's criminal backround in the column I was referencing. The complete review of those missing details can be found at:
http://colorado.mediamatters.org/items/200710220002
It appears Mr. Andrews has a knack for selectivity - or is it a lack of integrity?
BTW John - It is common courtesy to request permission - or at least give notice before publishing personal correspondence. I expect more from a man of your stature.
Subject: did you say relevant facts...
"informing the reader of all relevant facts" ...appears you missed some FACTS, John. There's not a single person in Colorado who doesn't associate you with the farthest right. That's not clairvoyance--that's called the rational mind. Isn't that one of the major tenets of conservatism?
However, as the Rocky Mountain News reported on October 18, Shen "pleaded guilty in May to harassing a former girlfriend, including stalking her." The News further reported:
George Jia Shen, 23, was sentenced to two years' probation and ordered to get a mental health evaluation and treatment.
He is under a permanent retraining order to stay away from the woman, who lives in Highlands Ranch, according to court records and Colorado Bureau of Investigation records.
Shen had a previous arrest for misdemeanor disorderly conduct involving a weapon in June 2006. That charge was not related to the stalking charge.
The News also reported that according to an affidavit filed in the case, Shen had "made numerous harassing phone calls" to his ex-girlfriend and followed her to work, school, and home.
The matter came to a head on Dec. 10, 2006, when Shen showed up at her house with seven guns and ammunition, according to an affidavit.
That time he was arrested, according to CBI [Colorado Bureau of Investigation] records.
He pleaded guilty to harassment, a class 3 misdemeanor, on May 31.
Back to work, my friend. Better luck next column.
Angela Engel
----- Original Message -----
From: AndrewsJK@aol.com
To: angela_engel@msn.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 10:40 AM
Subject: clairvoyance doesn't count
Nice try, but those college degrees of yours clearly didn't include logic. You know I vote Republican, but the reader of the column has no way of knowing that without further research - no way at all.
In communications, if it included any journalism, they should have taught you that a news story has to stand on its own, informing the reader of all relevant facts - so that no prior knowledge or clairvoyance is required to make sense of what's there on the page. By that standard, my piece endorsed no one. It was purely a political-science discussion (did you ever study that?), not a recommendation for voting this way or that.
Stop by my house, around the corner from Jennifer Herrera, and I will give you a McDonald's coupon for effort - but no steak dinner this time.
Onward with civility - JA
==================================
In a message dated 10/23/2007 10:26:29 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time, angela_engel@msn.com writes:
John,
"You and your wife vote" and you vote republican. Implicit or explicit this is an endorsement. I love Morton's.
"My wife and I vote, for example, in Centennial and the Cherry Creek school district. For city council in our ward, the options are George Shen and Patrick Anderson. For school board, we can pick between Jim O'Brien and Jennifer Herrera for one seat, Steve de Carteret and Randy Perlis for another. While I'm grateful to them for running, who are these people?
One learns that the second name in each pair is a Democrat, while O'Brien and de Carteret "espouse Republican principles" but aren't registered as such, and Shen is a Republican but barely out of college and in various ways not ready for prime time."
----- Original Message -----
From: AndrewsJK@aol.com
To: angela_engel@msn.com ; gmoore@denverpost.com
Cc: john@backboneamerica.net ; editorial@westword.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 10:10 AM
Subject: what endorsements?
Hello, Angela - naturally we differ about whom to vote for, but you will have to show me where in my 10/21 there is a single "endorsement." Find me any, explicit or even implied, and I will buy you dinner at Morton's. In fact I will buy you Morton's Inc. Best of luck, thanks for writing - JA