Dear Editor,
Within 48 hours of the Primary Election, we got our first glossy campaign ad. It was from the obviously very rich and well-prepared Republican Party of Wis., and “authorized by Novak for Assembly.” I wish I could show it to you here, because my description will sound too outrageous to exist. It is truly the most grossly absurd scare-tactic fakery you could imagine. Picture this ….
Full 8 1/2 x 11 shiny cardstock, almost all black. Shadowy jail bars discernible in background. The top line of print, in a high-alert red box, says: “EXTREMIST.” Next line down: “BEN GRUBER”, followed by smaller print “supporting the politicians fighting for taxpayer funded” (now switch back to red lettering) “PRISONER SEX-CHANGE SUR- GERIES.” There’s a red arrow from that prominent line directing our eye to the single-figure photo, (as if we could miss it) in prison orange, standing in the only lit area of the page.
He has long greasy black hair, scraggling down onto shoulders, matching mustache and goatee. Dramatic eye make-up and many tattoos. The artist (?) somehow concocted a miraculous blend of mexican-arabracial hatred, and satanic drag with which to address the stereotypes of every fear-mongerer out there.
But the best is yet to come. The overly-deep V-neck of the prison uniform, in the focused pinpoint of the only light shining on this scene, is straining to contain two huge melon-size breasts, boldly glistening on either side of deep dark cleavage which sprouts a fabulous winged tattoo. This is the brightest spot on the page – spotlighted.
What kind of hive-mind thinks this is the way to campaign for State Assembly? Who wants to see this? Who
sits around a conference table and discusses how big to make the boobs of an imaginary scary, sly, evil, foreign jailbird? Answer: the Republican Party. Does anybody on earth think this is an issue for Assembly District 51? How dumb do they think we are out here?
We have a great guy, home-grown Ben Gruber, who knows us, regular people, lives alongside us, sharing our struggles. The guy was an EMT, lost his local school when Arena closed, drives a truck that farm dogs clamber into, and is offering to spend time in Madison, meeting with good people and some creeps, to fight for us in A.D.51. Would you do it? No, me neither. So can we please, PLEASE all call for a yard sign, tell our neighbors, help friends register, drive somebody to the polls and ELECT BEN GRUBER ?!
Margaret Peckham, Arena, WI