[Mpls] R.T.'s over-the-top rhetoric

[Greg Abbott]

On May 13, 2005, at 10:23 AM, mphilip451 at aol.com wrote:

> I've not decided who I'm supporting tomorrow, and his rhetoric  
> maybe over the top... perhaps a little sloppy. However, this is a  
> bizarre place to attack R.T... In context, he was saying that Peter  
> is using fear as a way to win which is exactly the way Karl Rove  
> and kronies operate. From seeing some of the debates and one on one  
> conversations and mailings it doesn't seem that far off.

In my opinion, the attacks McLaughlin is making on Rybak's record are  
no different in scope and tone than the attacks Rybak made against  
Sayles Belton in 2001.

That's what happens when you're an incumbent running for re-election  
-- your record gets attacked.  The only difference between R.T. and  
Sharon in this regard is that R.T. appears not to understand that  
attacks and harsh criticism are part of the job.

The question is not whether negative attacks occur, but whether they  
hit the mark or not.  In 2001, they hit the mark.  In 2005, the jury  
is still out.  R.T.'s problem is that there are very legitimate  
concerns about the direction of crime and neighborhoods in the city  
-- the only real question is the level of culpability R.T. has for  
the current state of affairs.

And a "Karl Rove" reference goes well beyond invoking fear.  There  
was an Atlantic Monthly article last year about Rove, and his M.O.  
includes a level of deception and dirty tricks that is light years  
beyond what anyone in Minneapolis has ever done.  My original point  
stands - R.T. is invoking the dread name of Karl Rove, despite its  
inapplicability, as a dramatic rhetorical device to get attention.   
And regardless of whom one supports for mayor, that's a bad thing.
>


Greg Abbott
13th Ward
Linden Hills