By Kate Callen
The OB Rag has always gotten pushback on its endorsements of political candidates and ballot measures. But our choice of Nicole Crosby for the District 2 Council seat has triggered an unusual backlash from supporters of Richard Bailey.
We expected individuals to post negative comments on our Crosby story — that comes with the territory. But we never thought an advocacy group like San Diego United Communities (SDUC) would use its Instagram account to vilify us as “the worst and cringiest newspaper in San Diego.”
We respect the work of SDUC in fighting for sustainable growth in residential neighborhoods. But we are saddened by their scorched-earth tactics. They don’t just disagree — they attack, and often in personal terms.
In a separate Council race, SDUC’s efforts to disparage District 4 incumbent Henry Foster on behalf of their preferred candidate, challenger Martha Abraham, led to a rare public rebuke from two elected officials.
As Voice of San Diego reported October 2, County Supervisor Monica Montgomery-Steppe and City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera held a press conference to decry SDUC’s combative actions. Those included cartoons that depicted Montgomery-Steppe and Elo-Rivera, who support Foster, as gross caricatures.
How do we make sense of such vitriol? Why do people take offense at someone who supports a different candidate than they do?
It is worth noting that when the Rag endorsed Crosby, two of its own writers used the Rag’s platform to express misgivings about the decision.
Paul Krueger questioned Crosby’s support from labor unions in a city where unions have outsized influence on elections. I questioned Crosby’s resistance to shrinking the city payroll by cutting highly paid middle manager positions.
By any yardstick, Frank Gormlie qualifies as a political firebrand. But he posted our comments taking issue with his stand, and he said he appreciated that we had divergent views.
That’s how political discourse in a free society is supposed to work.
