I didn’t know what to make of guest columnist Val Stilwell’s aggressive adulation of Lane County Commissioner David Loveall until I read her biographical statement at the end of the essay, presenting her as a “communication strategist.” Clearly, what Stilwell is selling is a repackaged and rebranded Loveall for voters’ consumption. But I wasn’t buying her arguments.
First, Stilwell resorts to the “bait and switch” argument tactic to change and control the prevailing conversation about Loveall’s demeaning and offensive treatment of others, by attempting to shift the focus of the conversation to point fingers at other (liberal) commissioners like Heather Buch and Laurie Trieger. Throw in some wild accusations about the failure of Lane County government with unsubstantiated claims like “settlements are all too common in Lane County government.” What settlements? And your evidence is?
When Stilwell lets go of that smokescreen, she moves on to the Donald Trump/Steve Bannon sales pitch of “I’m an outsider (read: like you, the voter) here to drain the swamp.” Stilwell wrote, “He ran to represent voters and business owners like me,” continuing with, “The bureaucratic establishment (read: swamp) has chosen its target … They are not just coming after Loveall. They’re going after voters like me (read: and you!).” Sound familiar? Words lifted right out of Bannon’s MAGA playbook of hyperbole and fear…