The following was simulcast over broadband spectrums and available via radio, television, and several other analog and digital intermediaries. Copies are, as always, available in several places, including the Rhydin Public Library.
For those watching on video, the broadcast begins showing Governor Simon in his office, sitting on the edge of his desk, looking fairly relaxed in expression and stature. Smiling at the camera, he begins speaking. During the broadcast, he gets up and moves around several times, the camera always following. If he was using a teleprompter or another device to feed him his words, it was a mobile device.
Citizens of Rhydin,
With the new extension for election candidates coming to a close, I thought it an opportune time to address you once again. I've heard some of my fellow candidates react to my speech from a few days ago; some chose to respond in words and others, perhaps quite tellingly, in stark silence. Today though, I want to watch, with you, a couple of advertisements many of you have probably already seen. These advertisements were released by the Driscol campaign over the last several days. Let's watch them together and see what we learn.
Both of Driscol's initial campaign commercials play back to back; once complete, the camera returns to show Matt, now standing next to the television, nodding slowly as he looks into the lens.
Impressive, aren't they' Both campaign ads do seem make a great deal of sense, and the slogan is, entirely without sarcasm, fantastic. Remember your roots, Rhydin. It's a great campaign message. It's one I applaud. It's one I agree with. It's one I wish I'd thought of first. Remember your roots. Very apt, especially in this election year. But what are those roots" What is he asking you to not only remember, but to return to' Pay close attention to these ads and you'll find that their messages are mixed and scattered. Each contradicts itself more than once. Taken together, these ads are a mass of confusion, telling you and showing you little more than compelling imagery. Ultimately, Mr. Driscol presents you with a package filled with perplexing messages wrapped in foolhardy naivet".
As Matt speaks, the camera shifts intermittently from him to segments of the campaign videos that he's discussing, and back again.
Let's start where Mr. Driscol did, shall we" People hard at work, happy children, and a story about one of those children that's quite lovely until we hear this implausible statement: "The word poverty doesn't even exist in her vocabulary, and it never will."
To me, that statement is troublesome on two fronts. First, if Lucy never learns about poverty, about its causes, its solutions, its consequences, how can she adequately function in the real world" For in the real world, there is poverty. Whether we encounter it daily or not, it does exist. Some experience it on the way to and from work, some in our homes, some as we walk from district to district. To claim poverty does not or cannot exist is reckless and foolish. Secondly, nobody, not Mr. Driscol, not myself, not Lucy's parents, can absolutely guarantee that never, ever, no matter what, will she personally or indirectly experience poverty in what?s hopefully a lengthy lifetime. To claim such a thing in absolute terms is not only na've, it's dangerous because it shows blindness to the possibilities of what might happen. And what does that mean for you, with Mr. Driscol as Governor" It means that Mr. Driscol's assuming what will happen to the point that he's like a ship with a malfunctioning autopilot, unable to deviate his set course even if that course means imminent destruction.
The broadcast shifts away from Lucy's smiling face back to Matt, who's now near one of the office windows, where a light rainfall gently splays across the windowpanes.
And perhaps he's right about Lucy, that she may never know hunger or poverty personally, or never know someone who's experienced those things. Can we trust him, though, to be right in any and all circumstances" Of course not! Still, he's certainly asking for your trust, but not just your trust " he wants your blind faith in his prognostications. This advertisement does no less than decree with unwavering certainty that Mr. Driscol's going to be right, that there's nothing on this planet or in this life that will change the circumstances he foresees. More importantly, more foreboding, Mr. Driscol's telling you that he will make no plans, no contingencies, no preparations otherwise. Such a stance is ludicrous and delusional. Such a stance should not be taken by your Governor and does not at all demonstrate the qualities of a leader, the qualities needed by your Governor!
Did any of us foresee the tragic marketplace bombings two years ago' Did any of us foresee the sudden fury of Sanyumato' No. I, as Governor, worked hard to put in place systems to prevent another tragedy like the bombings. I, as Governor, implemented Disaster Aid and Recovery Teams just in case we might face circumstances just like we faced with Sanyumato. And those teams performed admirably! We did not know for a fact we'd ever need to use them, but we did, and we reaped the benefits of their quick actions, training, and preparation. I shudder to think about Mr. Driscol's predictions of what the future will or will not hold and the inactions he'll take because of those beliefs, were he to be our Governor.
The broadcast continues to shift between the first advertisement and Matt as he speaks about them.
As the ad continues, we hear things even more shocking. Did you know that you, none of you, ever in your lives, will once see a poor person in the Market square" According to Mr. Driscol's message, to imagine an encounter with an impoverished person there, and perhaps anywhere, is nothing short of impossible. Why' Because, according to his message, "money flows in the streets of Rhydin like water" and that "no matter the circumstances, we will thrive and be forever safe". I think that our experiences with Sanyumato, to again use a recent example, showed us all otherwise. Persons and property were not spared from damage because of someone's wealth or circumstance. And I believe that those who do live within this city who do not have an abundance of gold coin, those of you who do struggle from week to week, would be surprised and saddened to learn that, according to Mr. Driscol, your circumstances are figments of your imagination and that you have as much as you could ever want or need.
Not only is such a statement insulting, it robs each and every one of us of the need and the desire to strive for more than we have, for, according to Mr. Driscol, we have all that we could ever want. He paints a picture of utopia, where each of us sups on the ambrosia of gold without lack. But such a place is not Rhydin and most of us are keenly aware of the truth that money is not our personal savior, nor does it provide salvation for this city. While gold coin can allow you opportunities for comfort and a full stomach, for shelter and clothing, it cannot, ultimately, protect and save you as Mr. Driscol would have you believe.
Next, Mr. Driscol tries to appeal to your sense of morality, your sense of goodness and benevolence, and your sense of self protection. Who needs the Watch, he asks, since he claims you're all fully capable of defending yourselves and your neighbors from harm' Not only are you capable, but none of you, he persists, would ever once hesitate or show reluctance in attempting to do away with personal or public menace and mysterious evils. It's an admirable sentiment, and I do not doubt that his broad generalization actually holds true for many of you. But intentions do not automatically create results. Ability without training and honing and practice does not lead to success. Has Mr. Driscol forgotten the outrage after the Marketplace bombings, the cries for more protection, for more city guards, for better training and equipment for those guards" According to this ad, he would ignore those pleas outright!
He claims that I believe I know best and will not listen to opinions contrary to my own. Again, he could not be further from reality. In fact, where the Watch is concerned, I heard you, I listened, and I implemented new and better training, upgraded equipment, and increased the efficiency and capability, if not the overall number, of the men and women who, as part of the Watch, protect you daily to the best of their ability. Shortly after I became Governor, and with a carefully wrought plan, I formed the RASG, a group that has proved instrumental in protecting and growing, among other things, this city's interstellar trade. I have never once called any of you cowards as Mr. Driscol claims " I have seen time and again bravery demonstrated by citizens and guardsman alike. But those in the Watch dedicate themselves to your protection, to your safety. Your protection is their job, their livelihood, as important as the blacksmith or the tanner or the doctor or the dockworker. Not everyone can be the city's protector. Members of the Watch specialize in your defense just as each of you specialize in your own jobs. I do not expect a schoolteacher to defend the city as well as a member of the Watch, nor do I expect a Watchperson to perform surgery as well as a trained doctor. Mr. Driscol equates my focus on the Watch, on your protection and safety, as my belief that the general citizen is inept and spineless. Such a leap is not only illogical, it's irresponsible and entirely baseless.
The ad then tells you that somehow " but notice it does not actually give any details or reasons " I personally am responsible for the lack of business in Moreen's shop. Even if that were true, according to the ad's earlier claims, that shouldn't matter in the least! Remember, after all, that "there is never a shortage" of money, meaning Moreen will never, no matter what, ever have to worry about food in her belly or a roof over her head or the success of her business. Each of those things are, according to Mr. Driscol, forever guaranteed! Moreen, like all of you, will "thrive and be forever safe?. Mr. Driscol cannot have it both ways; he cannot blame me for a downturn in Moreen's business fortunes on one hand and advocate her perpetual effortless prosperity on the other. Pictures of children, a bustling marketplace, and prominence should not blind you or fool you. Listen to his words, listen to the message, and you'll see the folly within.
For those watching on video, the broadcast begins showing Governor Simon in his office, sitting on the edge of his desk, looking fairly relaxed in expression and stature. Smiling at the camera, he begins speaking. During the broadcast, he gets up and moves around several times, the camera always following. If he was using a teleprompter or another device to feed him his words, it was a mobile device.
Citizens of Rhydin,
With the new extension for election candidates coming to a close, I thought it an opportune time to address you once again. I've heard some of my fellow candidates react to my speech from a few days ago; some chose to respond in words and others, perhaps quite tellingly, in stark silence. Today though, I want to watch, with you, a couple of advertisements many of you have probably already seen. These advertisements were released by the Driscol campaign over the last several days. Let's watch them together and see what we learn.
Both of Driscol's initial campaign commercials play back to back; once complete, the camera returns to show Matt, now standing next to the television, nodding slowly as he looks into the lens.
Impressive, aren't they' Both campaign ads do seem make a great deal of sense, and the slogan is, entirely without sarcasm, fantastic. Remember your roots, Rhydin. It's a great campaign message. It's one I applaud. It's one I agree with. It's one I wish I'd thought of first. Remember your roots. Very apt, especially in this election year. But what are those roots" What is he asking you to not only remember, but to return to' Pay close attention to these ads and you'll find that their messages are mixed and scattered. Each contradicts itself more than once. Taken together, these ads are a mass of confusion, telling you and showing you little more than compelling imagery. Ultimately, Mr. Driscol presents you with a package filled with perplexing messages wrapped in foolhardy naivet".
As Matt speaks, the camera shifts intermittently from him to segments of the campaign videos that he's discussing, and back again.
Let's start where Mr. Driscol did, shall we" People hard at work, happy children, and a story about one of those children that's quite lovely until we hear this implausible statement: "The word poverty doesn't even exist in her vocabulary, and it never will."
To me, that statement is troublesome on two fronts. First, if Lucy never learns about poverty, about its causes, its solutions, its consequences, how can she adequately function in the real world" For in the real world, there is poverty. Whether we encounter it daily or not, it does exist. Some experience it on the way to and from work, some in our homes, some as we walk from district to district. To claim poverty does not or cannot exist is reckless and foolish. Secondly, nobody, not Mr. Driscol, not myself, not Lucy's parents, can absolutely guarantee that never, ever, no matter what, will she personally or indirectly experience poverty in what?s hopefully a lengthy lifetime. To claim such a thing in absolute terms is not only na've, it's dangerous because it shows blindness to the possibilities of what might happen. And what does that mean for you, with Mr. Driscol as Governor" It means that Mr. Driscol's assuming what will happen to the point that he's like a ship with a malfunctioning autopilot, unable to deviate his set course even if that course means imminent destruction.
The broadcast shifts away from Lucy's smiling face back to Matt, who's now near one of the office windows, where a light rainfall gently splays across the windowpanes.
And perhaps he's right about Lucy, that she may never know hunger or poverty personally, or never know someone who's experienced those things. Can we trust him, though, to be right in any and all circumstances" Of course not! Still, he's certainly asking for your trust, but not just your trust " he wants your blind faith in his prognostications. This advertisement does no less than decree with unwavering certainty that Mr. Driscol's going to be right, that there's nothing on this planet or in this life that will change the circumstances he foresees. More importantly, more foreboding, Mr. Driscol's telling you that he will make no plans, no contingencies, no preparations otherwise. Such a stance is ludicrous and delusional. Such a stance should not be taken by your Governor and does not at all demonstrate the qualities of a leader, the qualities needed by your Governor!
Did any of us foresee the tragic marketplace bombings two years ago' Did any of us foresee the sudden fury of Sanyumato' No. I, as Governor, worked hard to put in place systems to prevent another tragedy like the bombings. I, as Governor, implemented Disaster Aid and Recovery Teams just in case we might face circumstances just like we faced with Sanyumato. And those teams performed admirably! We did not know for a fact we'd ever need to use them, but we did, and we reaped the benefits of their quick actions, training, and preparation. I shudder to think about Mr. Driscol's predictions of what the future will or will not hold and the inactions he'll take because of those beliefs, were he to be our Governor.
The broadcast continues to shift between the first advertisement and Matt as he speaks about them.
As the ad continues, we hear things even more shocking. Did you know that you, none of you, ever in your lives, will once see a poor person in the Market square" According to Mr. Driscol's message, to imagine an encounter with an impoverished person there, and perhaps anywhere, is nothing short of impossible. Why' Because, according to his message, "money flows in the streets of Rhydin like water" and that "no matter the circumstances, we will thrive and be forever safe". I think that our experiences with Sanyumato, to again use a recent example, showed us all otherwise. Persons and property were not spared from damage because of someone's wealth or circumstance. And I believe that those who do live within this city who do not have an abundance of gold coin, those of you who do struggle from week to week, would be surprised and saddened to learn that, according to Mr. Driscol, your circumstances are figments of your imagination and that you have as much as you could ever want or need.
Not only is such a statement insulting, it robs each and every one of us of the need and the desire to strive for more than we have, for, according to Mr. Driscol, we have all that we could ever want. He paints a picture of utopia, where each of us sups on the ambrosia of gold without lack. But such a place is not Rhydin and most of us are keenly aware of the truth that money is not our personal savior, nor does it provide salvation for this city. While gold coin can allow you opportunities for comfort and a full stomach, for shelter and clothing, it cannot, ultimately, protect and save you as Mr. Driscol would have you believe.
Next, Mr. Driscol tries to appeal to your sense of morality, your sense of goodness and benevolence, and your sense of self protection. Who needs the Watch, he asks, since he claims you're all fully capable of defending yourselves and your neighbors from harm' Not only are you capable, but none of you, he persists, would ever once hesitate or show reluctance in attempting to do away with personal or public menace and mysterious evils. It's an admirable sentiment, and I do not doubt that his broad generalization actually holds true for many of you. But intentions do not automatically create results. Ability without training and honing and practice does not lead to success. Has Mr. Driscol forgotten the outrage after the Marketplace bombings, the cries for more protection, for more city guards, for better training and equipment for those guards" According to this ad, he would ignore those pleas outright!
He claims that I believe I know best and will not listen to opinions contrary to my own. Again, he could not be further from reality. In fact, where the Watch is concerned, I heard you, I listened, and I implemented new and better training, upgraded equipment, and increased the efficiency and capability, if not the overall number, of the men and women who, as part of the Watch, protect you daily to the best of their ability. Shortly after I became Governor, and with a carefully wrought plan, I formed the RASG, a group that has proved instrumental in protecting and growing, among other things, this city's interstellar trade. I have never once called any of you cowards as Mr. Driscol claims " I have seen time and again bravery demonstrated by citizens and guardsman alike. But those in the Watch dedicate themselves to your protection, to your safety. Your protection is their job, their livelihood, as important as the blacksmith or the tanner or the doctor or the dockworker. Not everyone can be the city's protector. Members of the Watch specialize in your defense just as each of you specialize in your own jobs. I do not expect a schoolteacher to defend the city as well as a member of the Watch, nor do I expect a Watchperson to perform surgery as well as a trained doctor. Mr. Driscol equates my focus on the Watch, on your protection and safety, as my belief that the general citizen is inept and spineless. Such a leap is not only illogical, it's irresponsible and entirely baseless.
The ad then tells you that somehow " but notice it does not actually give any details or reasons " I personally am responsible for the lack of business in Moreen's shop. Even if that were true, according to the ad's earlier claims, that shouldn't matter in the least! Remember, after all, that "there is never a shortage" of money, meaning Moreen will never, no matter what, ever have to worry about food in her belly or a roof over her head or the success of her business. Each of those things are, according to Mr. Driscol, forever guaranteed! Moreen, like all of you, will "thrive and be forever safe?. Mr. Driscol cannot have it both ways; he cannot blame me for a downturn in Moreen's business fortunes on one hand and advocate her perpetual effortless prosperity on the other. Pictures of children, a bustling marketplace, and prominence should not blind you or fool you. Listen to his words, listen to the message, and you'll see the folly within.