In the Noble Footsteps of John Edwards, Mark Sanford, and David Letterman, I Will Confess

I haven't written or submitted a letter to the editor in quite some time. I can't remember what month or year I had my most recent letter to the editor printed in the News & Record, but I'm thinking it's been at least a couple years ago.

I just wrote and submitted one today. I was inspired by a couple recent letter writers, as well as by all the news stories surrounding the romantic adventures of John Edwards, Mark Sanford, David Letterman, and other such manly men. It has really started to bother me that my own love affairs haven't received as much attention, so I've decided to provide some self-exposure and share some confessions of my own.

I'm hoping that Allen Johnson will decide that my tales are as worthy of publication as the stories of better known men.

One thing that might keep my own confessions from being as worthy of coverage is that I am unmarried. But still, a cheating man is a cheating man, whether he's married or not.

Stay tuned . . .

Please Feed the Shivering Editorial Squirrels

Read this.

Then, enjoy this. (HILARIOUS!)

N & R Mayoral Coverage Begins This Week!

According to this post, the News & Record will "begin a series of editorials about Greensboro's mayoral race."

The overall plans?

"We'll start with vision statements by Yvonne Johnson and Milton Kern."

Then: "We'll follow up with a new topic each week or so throughout the campaign."

Now, that's what we've been talking about.

Looking forward to more coverage by this person also.

The gap between what many of us would like and what the News & Record plans to deliver is probably not nearly as great as the discussion has sometimes made it seem.

Peer pressure's not always a bad thing.

Not when it helps "Bring out your best!" (I'm borrowing the slogan; I'm not trying to advertise this product.)

Reading N & R Editorial Wizards' Minds

Some readers have claimed for years that they could read the minds of the News & Record's editorial writers.

Increasingly, there's probably some validity to that claim.

The editorial board's Old-School Philosophy was: "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain."

The board's New-Age Philosophy involves ripping down that curtain.

How?

Well, one editorial writer has been sharing his thoughts out loud.

Another's been sharing his off the record.

More recently, we've even been invited to pull up a chair to the Editorial Board's Table:

"The purpose of this blog is to give you a look at how we work, let you know what we're working on, and ask for your input. We'll give you a chance to comment on our editorials before we write them -- which means your views can influence our final product."

It's been interesting so far, finding out what subjects are being considered and then being able to read the board's final written thoughts on those subjects.

To date, only a few comments have been posted on the "Your Voice at the Table" blog.

As awareness increases, hopefully more people will choose to show up at the table and make their views known.

After some recent discussion of this topic, I appreciated finding out that the editorial board plans to begin writing this week about Greensboro's mayoral race.

A few suggestions for the editorial board's new blog:

1) Add the "Your Voice at the Table" blog to We101. That'll help with advertising. And it will let We101 visitors know when new posts have been made.

2) Describe the legwork that goes into writing an editorial. It'd be interesting to read an occasional step-by-step glimpse at the entire editorial-writing process.

In no particular order, these are some questions I'd be curious to have addressed in the future:

• Who does the editorial writer contact (or try to contact) for more information about the subject?
• How much do interviews help in developing editorials?
• What other research tools are used to develop an editorial?
• What new information is learned, and how does that affect the final editorial on the subject?
• What questions do board members ask one another?
• Are minds ever changed?
• Do board members take turns as devil's advocates?
• Does only one individual ultimately write each editorial, or are there ever any joint ventures?
• Once a writer is assigned to write an editorial, are other writers involved with researching or writing an editorial?
• Once an editorial is written, do other board members help proof and edit?
• Does research ever lead to a changed editorial stance, mid-way through the process?
• What determines who will write each editorial?

Not everyone will be interested in all of these issues, but some people will be.

Some details about what goes on behind the Wizard's curtain have already been revealed on this blog.

3) During this early period, continue using "Thinking Out Loud" and "Off the Record" some to draw those blogs' readers to "Your Voice at the Table."

4) Keep posting! (Thanks for adding this blog. It was a great idea to do so!)

Denying Responsibility

I deny involvement in any activity that might have led to this.

(Margaret: what really happened? Hope you're OK!)

Candidates Pursue Earlier, More Equal Coverage

At-large Greensboro City Council candidate Greg Woodard seconds Joel Landau's letter to the editor.

You can already visit Greg and Joel on the web.

Both used their letters to let readers know where.

Having run before, Greg and Joel are already off to faster starts than most of the other candidates.

It's not too early for the campaigning to begin, and these two candidates realize that.

The pressure builds for earlier, more equal media coverage.

District 5 race already has received Yes! Weekly coverage.

Angela Carmichael again sounds like she's mainly interested in having her name on the ballot.

That all but guarantees a run-off between Sandy Carmany and Trudy Wade.

Rhino Editor Emphasizes Inclusive Coverage

John Hammer, Rhinoceros Times Editor, provides some advice for the 33 Greensboro City Council candidates in a column titled, "Successful Candidates Stand For Something."

Much of his advice is common sense, but as his column suggests, past candidates have not always applied some of the seemingly obvious tips that he offers.

Hammer emphasizes having a message that goes deeper than a pledge to make Greensboro a better place.

And he doesn't hide his personal preference for candidates who are inclined to avoid tax increases.

The column starts on page 2, skips to page 96, and finishes on page 98.

I'm glad I finished reading the column.

In the second-to-last paragraph, Hammer writes, "Here are the at-large candidates we haven't mentioned in this column yet."

And he goes on to list them.

Ending with an obvious but important conclusion:

"That's a whole bunch of people to sort through."

Anyone Have Donna Riechmann's Number?

Donna Riechmann, one of thirteen candidates for an at-large seat on the Greensboro City Council, showed up on Allen Johnson's blog and had this to say:

"I would welcome the opportunity to talk with you about who I am and how my platform for honest, collaborative government and my support for continued economic development are good for Greensboro."

Jordan Green, Yes! Weekly's News Editor, is interested in what Donna has to say.

But the phone number she provided the Board of Elections isn't working for him. (I haven't tried it myself yet, but I'm assuming it won't work for any of us.)

Writing her by mail is another option; candidates' addresses are posted on-line.

But having a phone number or e-mail address would be even easier and faster.

Jordan asks that anyone who has Donna's correct phone number call him at YES! Weekly at 336/316-1231 or e-mail him at jordan@yesweekly.com.

Can Newcomer Candidates Overcome Greensboro's Good Ol' Network ?

Donna Riechmann, one of 13 at-large candidates for the Greensboro City Council, asked Allen Johnson about something I too had noticed about the News & Record's initial campaign coverage:

"I am wondering why you mention only three names in the at-large race. (Similarly, the July 22 front page article only mentioned 7 of the 13 contenders.) This gives the impression that "newcomers" are not newsworthy. How about equal press for all?" (fifth comment from the top)

Without using such terminology, Reichmann's calling the News & Record out for providing greater coverage to Greensboro's "Good Ol' Boy Network" than it's providing to candidates outside that circle.

Joel Landau, another at-large candidate, makes the same point.

Allen's response: "That was purely a space issue. We plan plenty of coverage of all of the candidates in the weeks to come, in the printed paper and on our Web site."

I believe Allen, and his point about space makes sense.

But intentionally or not, what's already happening is that presumed favorites are receiving preferential treatment.

Historically, the Good Ol' Boy Network is associated with white Southern men or WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants).

But times are changing.

Look at the three candidates that Allen mentioned:

Sandra Anderson-Groat (incumbent at-large council member), Robbie Perkins (former District 3 council member), and Mary Rakestraw (former Guilford County Commissioner).

Women are almost as likely (and sometimes more likely) to be a part of the new Good Ol' Network as men.

Though black elected officials in Greensboro/Guilford County are still more likely to be elected from districts, Yvonne Johnson has demonstrated that blacks can secure (and maintain) broader community support, earning herself a place in the Good Ol' Network.

Even officials elected by only a geographical segment of our community enjoy Good Ol' Network benefits.

While some of them might not be able to earn enough votes to be elected city- or county-wide, these officials tend to maintain an advantage as long as they run for re-election within their districts.

This much hasn't changed: it's easier to remain a member of the Good Ol' Network than to become a new member.

And while you might complain about the Network as an outsider, once you're in, you're probably not going to continue complaining about it.

I don't expect Anderson-Groat, Perkins, or Rakestraw to complain that other at-large candidates aren't receiving as much attention or coverage.

I am hoping that the News & Record and other local media bend over backwards to provide as much coverage as possible for all serious candidates among the 33 who filed.

Waiting for such coverage might not be in candidates' best interests, however, if they sincerely hope to be elected.

Automatically working against the odds, candidates who don't already belong to the Good Ol' Network ought to be investigating and pursuing all possible means of leveling the playing field.

Having lots of money to spend on publicity is one way to improve one's chances of being elected.

Short of spending lots of money, candidates really ought to consider setting up and using their own blogs to get their names, images, personalities, and messages out.

I'm still waiting and wondering if it's possible for someone outside the Network to use a blog to generate enough attention and interest to win an election.

Unless some of the "newcomer" candidates find and use special campaign tools, it won't be too hard to predict which individuals will find themselves sitting on the city council for the next two years.

Rumbling about Local Election Coverage

I agree with Roch and Joel: the News & Record, our local daily newspaper, needs to evaluate how it covers candidates for local offices.

Donna Riechmann expressed the same concern on Allen Johnson's "Thinking Out Loud" blog (scroll down to fifth comment).

I'd be willing to guess that other candidates--the "outsiders"--would agree.

Non-incumbents almost always start off at a disadvantage to incumbents.

The initial News & Record coverage only adds to that disadvantage.

On one hand, there are nods to how wonderful it is that there are 33 people interested in pursuing city council seats.

On the other hand, there are suggestions that that's too many individuals to cover and that the ones already presumed to be at the top merit greater coverage.

Most of the candidates only have two months to make themselves and their views known before the primary election (October 9).

There are only three months before the municipal elections will be held (November 6).

Sure, a lot of people don't pay attention to local elections and don't vote in them.

And some people will wait and start paying closer attention closer to the elections.

So automatically, candidates face an uphill battle: trying to capture the minds and the hearts of disinterested, easily distracted citizens.

I'm looking forward to the News & Record's coverage, as well as the coverage that will be provided by the Rhinoceros Times, Yes! Weekly, and local blogs.

In addition to the candidates themselves, I'm hoping that our local publications (in print and on-line) inspire greater interest, sooner rather than later.

One angle I've heard is that the abundance of candidates running might be related to the problems/scandals plaguing the City of Greensboro.

But so far, I don't think anyone can say for sure that that's true.

After the filing period ended, it would have been interesting for the first coverage of the complete list of candidates to have had a few quotes from the "new" candidates.

I may be wrong, but I don't think there were any quotes attributed to those lesser known candidates.

What made some of these people file for elected office for the first time?

Sure, we'll probably find out eventually.

But new candidates' motivations for running might have made for an interesting opening angle to the campaign coverage.

While I agree that it's interesting that Robbie Perkins is back in and that Trudy Wade and Mary Rakestraw are trying to make comebacks, I'm also very interested to find out about the other candidates, particularly the ones I've never heard about or who have never held elected office before.

John Robinson recently e-mailed some blogging politicians in an effort to solicit some feedback.

Maybe the News & Record could invite all the candidates to check out and take advantage of the News & Record's on-line and print offerings.

As someone who has promoted this area's blogging community, John might even suggest that candidates consider checking out some of the local blogs.

That might result in some of the candidates expressing themselves on local blogs or perhaps even starting their own blogs.

None of us know when the News & Record is planning to jump full-steam into its campaign coverage.

John seems to suggest later than sooner, which I hope is not the case.

We've already had presidential campaigns that have been underway for what seems like forever (with infinity stretching out ahead of us also).

A 2-3 month municipal campaign period is nothing by comparison.

Some of us are interested in coverage starting as soon as possible so that we can begin to learn more about the candidates and continue learning about them all the way to the primary and general elections.

We want to learn at least as much about new candidates as we'll read about candidates who already have better-established places in our minds.

The News & Record could encourage and promote greater and earlier interest through its campaign coverage.

I think that would serve a noble purpose for our community.

A Struggling Cartoonist

When this cartoon first appeared over at Plead the First, several people noticed.

A few days later, a second cartoon drew my attention.

Adding a local political cartoonist was one of the best additions to the News & Record's editorial pages.

It had not made any sense that the daily newspaper for an area as material-rich as Greensboro/Guilford County hadn't had its own cartoonist to exploit and expose deserving individuals and incidents.

I definitely believe that certain individuals need to be challenged and that certain incidents need to be exposed.

A good cartoonist has a powerful tool (or weapon) at his disposal: the ability to draw images that, sometimes combined with just a few words, have the ability to challenge our thinking about and our understanding of the world around us.

A good writer or a good speaker also has the ability to affect our thinking and understanding, but the cartoonist's advantage is that he usually needs far less time and space to make his point.

At the same time, when he uses his tool/weapon to make strong points, a cartoonist almost always risks negatively affecting someone else's sensibilities.

It's also certainly possible that a person could be hurt by finding himself or a cherished value/issue "cartooned."

Another occupational hazard for the cartoonist is that viewers might misread or misinterpret his cartoon.

I lack the talents necessary to be a good cartoonist: being able to draw at least reasonably well, being able to capture issues and opinions succinctly, etc.

But I greatly admire the artform of cartooning.

I admire (and envy) cartoonists for what they are able to create and accomplish with their cartoons.

My respect and appreciation for Anthony as a cartoonist has only grown from reading his recent explanations and analysis of his own work.

It might be easy for some of us to picture critics (cartoonists/speakers/writers) as people who simply live to skewer others and skew issues.

It's therefore healthy for us to have a glimpse into critics' minds and hearts.

From his words, Anthony strikes me not only as a man of passion but also as a man of compassion.

He's not just sitting back, hoping to throw punches at people and issues for the fun of it.

There's a more sincere hope that we will be inspired to think more deeply about ourselves and about the issues surrounding us.

Inpsiring people to evaluate themselves and the world around them more deeply has always struck me as a noble cause.

Anthony thoughtfully analyzes the complexities of cartooning, specifically examining his recent experiences with two of his cartoons.

By exploring the complex, complicated nature of cartooning in an open forum, Anthony provides important insight and understanding for us all.

Seymour's Purple Mind II: The Sequel Begins

Since I wrote my first letter to the editor as a high school student, the News & Record has served as a catalyst for much of my thinking about the world around me.

Knowing that not everyone is a fan of my hometown newspaper, I realize that some people will read that statement and feel sorry for me.

But from my perspective, I am thankful for and appreciative of all the information and ideas that I've gained from reading my local newspaper.

And understand that even though I agree with and support much of what is printed in the News & Record, I still regard myself as an independent, critical thinker.

I've already written too lengthy an introduction to my main point: I want to blame and thank both the News & Record and letter-to-the-editor writer Edward Carmichael of High Point for inspiring me to post a response, which has indirectly lead to me starting this sequel of a blog.

In trying to post my response, I almost lost it. ("It" referring to both my response and my cool.)

Very few things are as frustrating as taking the time to compose your thoughts and ideas, only to have them disappear.

I had successfully written some thoughts that had been swirling in my mind, and I felt that I had done a respectable job with the wording.

I wanted to publish my comments, but once I typed the key to post them on the News & Record's Letters to the Editor Blog, the comments seemed to disappear forever without successfully being posted.

I frantically went back, trying to retrieve the comments.

At first, I wasn't successful.

Finally, I found them.

I saved the comments elsewhere, and then tried to post again.

I still wasn't succesful.

Later, I used another computer, retrieved the saved comments, and then was able to post successfully.

The time I had taken to respond to Edward Carmichael's letter reminded me of what I liked about blogging when I first discovered the process: that I used blogging as motivation to read, think, and write more than usual.

And that I was able to record my thoughts, perhaps permanently (for better or worse, I know).

As I'm typing this, I've noticed a new blogger function. A quote bubble appears above the "SAVE NOW" button, and it reads: "Now Blogger saves your drafts automatically!"

Beside that same "SAVE NOW" button appears this notice: "Draft autosaved at 5:49 PM."

Certainly, a "new and improved" function, one custom-made for dummies who allow themselves to forget to save often as they type.