Still Pimping

nrelated to the election just ended, but potentially related to the next, is a reprise by the Democrat and Chronicle of one of its most notorious partisan stunts ever.  Consider this another submission to The Tobin Challenge.

You may remember when, in 2007, the D&C turned its front page over to a free promotion for the Democratic candidate in a closely contested election, with no mention that the subject of its puffery was a candidate for office in an election just eight weeks away.   Just a citizen striving heroically to improve his neighborhood.

We were reminded of this disgrace by the paper's Real Estate section a couple of months ago.   On its front page (of course!) appeared a story about how to beautify your lawn and gardens when you prepare to sell.


Conventional stuff for the Real Estate section.   Nothing out of the ordinary.   Except ...

Instead of the photos you'd expect to illustrate such a story -- a freshly planted tree, perhaps, or new shrubbery in the front garden -- the D&C made the curious choice of . . . sellers and their realtor talking about sprucing things up.

And of all the realtors in Monroe County and all the property sellers out there, the Democrat and Chronicle, in an astonishing, totally random coincidence like the one last year, chose to give publicity to these people:


The realtor on the left?   That's Tom Wega -- Chairman of the Democratic Party in Pittsford (at least as of last year).   Democratic candidate for Pittsford Supervisor in 2007.   And if this little trick by the D&C offers a clue -- maybe the candidate again next year?

No doubt even the D&C realized the timing of its 2007 candidate pimping was just a bit too obvious.   So do it a year early!   That leaves time for repetition.   To really build that all-important name recognition!

And the happy house-sellers?   Well how about this for another completely accidental, mind-boggling coincidence:   that's Gerry Minerd, a Democratic agent provocateur at a Pittsford Town Board meeting last year.   Has the D&C tipped us off to a possible running mate if Mr. Wega runs again in 2009?

Perhaps, if the D&C's track record for pimping Democratic candidates is any guide.