Thursday, Sept. 9, produced a bumper crop, all from the supposed "front-runners" of the campaign. Margot Barnet, last heard from more than a week ago, again had multiple entries. Here they are:
"Your Vote Matters"
Here's another union mailer from SEIU (see Part 1). It's got the hallmarks of a statewide mailer, with no specifics about Barnet's policies and no mention of Worcester or Paxton -- just "... an important primary election for our community." Also, if you don't know where to vote, visit wheredoivotema.com (a state-run website) or call 800-462-VOTE. Nothing groundbreaking here.
"Someone We Trust"
This one's from Barnet's local office and focuses on her résumé as a community volunteer and organizer in Worcester: "We know we can trust her to be a champion for our concerns, because that is exactly what she has been doing for decades in our community." It's Barnet's strongest selling point and this is probably her most effective mailer yet.
"Mahoney Momentum!"
Another big one -- 8.5" x 11". I just had to show the front side, because it's got that great headline, but the back is probably more interesting ... the entire purpose of the mailer is to show seven testimonials, including one from a Paxton resident. Mahoney gets a great cross-section to endorse him, from elected officials (Councilor Barbara Haller and School Committeewoman Dianna Biancheria) to former Police Chief Edward Gardella, a teacher and a senior citizen.
Next time the post office has to raise the price of a stamp because business is down, don't blame John Mahoney. The information on this mailer could have easily fit into a card half this size, but he's still paying to send the largest mailers the campaign has seen so far.
"What People Are Saying"
I've got to go with first impressions here -- the color scheme is awful; a lot of dark-text-on-black. That said, Smith strikes back with his own list of testimonials, leading off with former School Committee member Dotty Hargrove and city boxing star Jose Rivera. Nobody identified from Paxton. Still, folks who risk eye damage to read the thing learn about Smith's attention to education, neighborhoods and seniors.
It should be said that while testimonials are better than vague promises, they're still not as good (in this voter's opinion) as specific promises or beliefs. I'm learning not to expect specifics in the mail, though.
This is the fourth in a series of "P.O. Box 13" blog posts about campaign mailers in the 13th Worcester House District race. The opinions expressed are those of a 13th Worcester District voter and not necessarily those of CMassPolitics.com. The series continues here.
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