This Isn’t An Endorsement, It’s A Clarion Call
When this race for the 22nd Congressional District began I was really optimistic about the candidacy of Sarah Klee Hood. With her military background I originally thought she had the credentials to fill the seat currently occupied by MAGA Congressman Brandon Williams. My case against Mannion was his margin of victory when he captured the 50th District Senate seat. However, once the campaign began, I was disappointed. Klee Hood appeared to focus on making appearances in Utica and other areas, not paying attention to voters of Onondaga County.
On a regular basis I could track the Mannion campaign. Endorsements from 28 Labor Unions, 26 NYS Senators, Onondaga County Democratic Committee, Cayuga County Democratic Committee and a number of elected officials across Central New York. Mannion has also taken part with fellow members, building the Democratic agenda as a Senator serving in the NYS Senate. Based on his documented accomplishments I began to look at the candidate differently. John Mannion mapped out his positions on a variety of issues. He could not have been clearer than when he released an ad detailing the pre-Roe story of his mother being forced to carry a stillborn baby to term. Clearly saying what his position is on reproductive health.
Sarah Klee Hood’s campaign commercial hit the air filled with misrepresentations of John Mannion on multiple issues. In a clip obviously edited to distort Mannion’s position on abortion; the Hood campaign claims “Mannion wants limits on abortion.” Her newly minted commercials misrepresent, and I assert even tells lies about Mannion’s positions. Any reproductive rights legislation has boundaries and limits.
Right on cue, as if found in a long-discarded color swatch from a 1980 United Colors of Benetton Clothing advertisement. Here comes the requisite Black people scripted to misrepresent her opponent again. If she loses, she has damaged a fellow Democrat with a core constituency needed to win this seat.
Most candidates for Congress open with a nice introductory commercial, saying “this is who I am and what I represent.” Not Sarah Klee Hood. It is clear from her commercials that she is out to damage John Mannion with key constituencies. Hood delivers scripted verbal gymnastics carefully placed in this large television ad purchase. Usually, candidates go negative if their polls show they are losing.
Hood is paving the way for MAGA Republican Brandon Williams to win in his bid to keep the 22nd Congressional District.
This isn’t an endorsement, it’s a clarion call.
