Sound bites, talking points and repeat the stuff until enough fools believe it. Keep 'em angry. Keep 'em afraid. Keep 'em looking the other way.
In public venues, her opponent prattles on about much he doesn't understand. And he can, with a straight face, tell workers Melious wants to shut down their plants. He can tell rural voters she's after their property. That he doesn't know anything and his allegations are untrue doesn't matter. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
A lack luster, run of the mill alternative for sure, he employs surrogates from the ridiculous right to condemn Melious with feint praise and continue a coded attack on her qualifications.
Characteristic of the cynical effort by the right to tap a too common weakness in the electorate, hard earned achievement is twisted into a liability.
Melious, who as a country girl managed to win admission and graduate from a prestigious university (without being a legacy student or child of some Wall Street aristocrat), is characterized as being a member of some evil elite.
In addition to all the responsibilities of a parent, Melious, a highly qualified lawyer with all the associated earning power, gives her time to teach at our local university. This makes her an enemy of real people?
If there is one area in which the Whatcom county council has long demonstrated ignorance: zoning, growth management, and the requirements of planning; Melious is an expert. This, of course, is the last thing the landed gentry wants to see added to the public process.
They are completely satisfied with the lame representation provided by their boy McEachran's staff. They have ample access, thank you, through their own attorneys, who are all on Sam Crawford's speed dial.
Why would they want a legal expert who might challenge their self serving interpretation (abuse) of the law?
So, the story becomes: she's biased towards planning and the environment. Ignore her record as a moderate planning commissioner, they don't want an independent, moderate vote when they come for a handout, they need a rubber stamp.
But hey, wouldn't it be great to have someone on the council who knew enough to keep us from making these stupid policies we pay so much to defend, unsuccessfully?
A favorite smear on Melious has been to suggest she came up with the idea of impact fees on development, and that's what makes housing so expensive.
This is all part of a self serving effort by some builders and land speculators to avoid paying their own way, and pass the expense off on the public. Like the developers would ever charge less than the market will bear. Right!
Of course, her opponent is convinced planning and regulation of such self interests is the reason for the economic morass we find ourselves in; sure!
Her opponent has fumbled this one for a long time. There's his stupid theory how the government caused the financial meltdown; with the help of those despicable minorities.
And then there's his fantasies about county government delaying permitting and, forbid, following state and federal laws. And the illusions of his supporters that he's an "economist" and a "business man." Just the right prescription for what ails us. He'll bring jobs back to Whatcom county.
Please, spare me! If he could, why hasn't he? Has he been holding out on us? As a business man, he couldn't even get to second base. And he owned the baseball team! Briefly.
The problem for Melious, her expertise won't allow her to make such silly statements. Meanwhile her opponent can blather on, mislead, and when he can't deliver, blame government. How convenient!
Oh yeah, there's the other usual fare: she wasn't born here; she lives in Bellingham. Need a reason to dislike this woman? We got something for you. How about this, she's smarter, more successful, and has worked harder than you. She didn't earn it, she's an elitist. You gotta hate her!
If you've read this far, you probably wouldn't be opposed to seeing Melious on the county council. Candidly, if she isn't elected, the consequences are truly dire. You need to cast your vote, for sure. But you also need to take the time, and go to the trouble, to make sure others do the same.
It matters!
