Tag: word salad

Richardson Campaign, Word Salad with a Slight Twist

It took a while for the Richardson campaign to come out of the closet, but last week’s chapter of its full-page ads provided a glimpse of what it is really about.
“Is the current mayor of Conway really a liberal,” the ad asks. And, “Ken Richardson for Mayor, a strong conservative.” The old classic “traditional American values” was thrown in for good measure.
The Richardson for Mayor campaign really has no local issues to address other than Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy signing a proclamation declaring Pride Month in Conway and giving the key to the city to Pete Buttigieg three years ago.
This is the old trick which has been part of the national level political playbook since the 1970’s. If you have nothing to say for yourself, attack the opponent. Give voters something to be afraid of and tell them the current mayor is to blame for it.
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Richardson Campaign Ad Criticizes Length of Mayoral Proclamation not its Content

There was finally a comment last Thursday about Conway Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy’s Proclamation for LGBTQ Month in a full-page ad by the Ken Richardson for Mayor Campaign.
Richardson claimed in a local podcast that he had over 300 phone calls urging him to run for mayor after Blain-Bellamy issued the proclamation. Richardson claimed 41 ministers called him to support his candidacy. Some of these ministers publicly called the LGBTQ lifestyle an abomination and requested the mayor to rescind the proclamation.
Rather than criticizing the content of the proclamation, the Richardson campaign chose to criticize that it proclaimed June as Pride Month while national holidays such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and Veterans Day are only celebrated for one day. It’s not the content of the proclamation, it’s the length it covers.
The criticism, however, is like comparing apples to oranges. National holidays are one-day paid holidays from work. I guess the Richardson campaign is not aware of other special months recognized by various proclamations at the national level and also recognized by state and local governments. There is National Mentoring Month, Stalking Awareness Month, Slavery and Human Trafficking Month, American Heart Month, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, American Red Cross Month, National Autism Month and, yes, National Military Appreciation Month, to name a few.
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Richardson Campaign Calls Mayoral Proclamations Divisive

The fourth edition of full-page ads promoting the candidacy of Ken Richardson for Conway mayor was published in local media last week. The first three ads were basically a world salad of claims without any specifics.
Last week’s ad hit a new level of inscrutability. It claimed in part, “…Yet, lately we’ve seen division seep into our city’s fabric. The current mayor’s unilateral proclamations have left us feeling fractured…”
Wondering what caused claims of division and fracturing, I did a random search of Conway City Council Agenda to find these supposed divisive horrors. There were mayoral proclamations issued for “National Garden Week”, the “50th Anniversary of the United Way”, “Donate Life Month”, “Conway 10 and Under Fast Pitch Softball State Champions”, “Conway 12 and Under Fast Pitch Softball State Champions”, and to “Sargeant Major KaJuan Butler for 30 years of service in the U. S. Army”.
The ad for the Richardson campaign mentioned “unilateral proclamations” (plural) not any specific proclamation. Again, the public is being treated to general statements with no specificity from the Richardson campaign. General statements that fall into the category of word salad.
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One More Week More Word Salad in Conway Election Campaign

For the third week in a row, the Richardson for Mayor of Conway campaign has run a full-page ad in the local newspaper which is long on newsprint but says nothing of substance.
This has been a trend around the campaign since the hyperbolic article in a local blog announcing Richardson’s run. That particular article spoke of a “groundbreaking moment” in the political history of Conway and a “compelling message” for all residents. We are still waiting to hear the message.
Last week’s ad spoke of Richardson’s “monumental task” of “overseeing a budget exceeding 900 million dollars” and “ensuring the well-being of over 7,000 employees” when he was Chairman of the Horry County Board of Education. The numbers are used to impress.
Richardson was a good chairman for Horry County Schools. His signature achievement during that tenure was working with district staff and other board members through the mess Covid created for enclosed public spaces. Of course, the contributions of staff and other board members are never mentioned.
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Word Salad Instead of Specific Issues

Voters in Conway were ‘treated’ last week to another full page ad, in a local media outlet, of word salad without specifics by the Committee to Elect Ken Richardson.
The introductory sentence says it all, “In the HEART OF CONWAY where tradition meets progress, one name stands out KEN RICHARDSON.
One would think the first name to stand out, in the minds of those who proclaim to know exactly what Conway is and is not, would be General Robert Conway in whose honor the town is named. Gen. Conway was a Revolutionary War soldier, six term member of the South Carolina General Assembly, brigadier of the Sixth South Carolina Brigade and large land owner. Conway succeeded Peter Horry, for whom the county is named, as brigadier.
The names of more recent individuals who stand out in the history and development of Conway are Buddy Sasser, Greg Martin, Jean Timbes, Chip Brown, Leslie McGiver, Alys Lawson, Sam Hendrick, Vivian Chestnut and General James Vaught. And yes Mr. Richardson, Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy is on that list too.
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