As tomorrow’s Asheville City Council primary approaches, you may still be making up your mind about who to vote for. Perhaps YouTube, a relatively new campaign tool, will help you make your picks. Here are some samples of how the fight for your vote is carving out new space on the Internet:
Candidate Lindsey Simerly has a whole ad up on YouTube. It includes a protest montage at the beginning to the tune of The Coup’s “Ride the Fence,” followed by Simerly asserting that Republicans and Democrats “hate fun. I like fun. I’m an anarchist,” and suggestions to spice up City Council meetings by including dance mixes and “gratuitious lesbian make-out.” She also expresses her opposition to The Ellington high-rise and suggests the people offended by “freaks” in downtown should stick to Biltmore Forest.
Elaine Lite also has a sizable YouTube presence, with several testimonials from local activists. The most viewed is one from Brainshrub blogger Paul Van Heden, who praises Lite’s stances on development, affordable housing and partisan elections.
There are also testimonials from activist Clare Hanrahan (her name in the ad is misspelled “Claire") and a city resident named Christopher.
Selina Sullivan has put up her campaign kick-off, where she promises to provide “real effective leadership” on Council and give “businesses the opportunities they need.”
Sullivan’s appearance on the URTV show Sound Off Buncombe is also available in two parts.
Of course, any campaign season also brings out attack ads, and this one is no exception. The right-wing group the Carolina Stompers has put up a short spot attacking Lite for her participation in a chant/protest organized by local Wiccan priestess Dixie Deerman (also known as Lady Passion) and her Coven Oldenwilde group in protest of a developer’s plan to cut down a magnolia tree downtown. Entitled “DEMOCRAT ELAINE LITE DANCING WITH WITCHES,” the ad points out Lite with the group dancing around the tree, dubbing the performance “priceless.”
A longer version of the ad is available here.
Know of any ads we missed? Or some newcomers? Let us know.
— David Forbes, staff writer
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I think i will vote for Lindsay just to laugh at every city council meeting. |
chuck Oct 08, 2007 |
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1. The footage in the attack ad smearing Elaine Lite was filmed by Republican Richard Bernier who handed it over to Chad Nesbit. The Stompers are spending money on political advertising and yet have not formed a PAC—a sticky little legal requirement for doing so. 2. It’s about time we had some lesbian action on city council. 3. Sullivan made a mis-step in initially pulling out of the race. Had she stood up to the deranged GOP Romper Stompers and stayed in, she might have had a chance to redeem herself. Now that she has wavered and decided to fight on, she faces a further obstacle: seeming irresolute in the face of intolerant partisan bigotry. |
 Oct 09, 2007 at 11:21 AM |
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Tim, Are you saying that Selina’s bad checks have anything to do with the Stompers? I don’t get it. I was holding on to the info myself, expecting to release it if she made it through the primary. |
Gordon Smith Oct 09, 2007 |
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I didn’t say i was an anarchist. But i appreciate the love mountain x! |
Lindsey Simerly Oct 09, 2007 |
