The Storey Teller News and commentary on what’s really going on in Storey County.
From Wikipedia – A whisper campaign is a method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are spread about the target, while the source of the rumors seeks to avoid being detected while spreading them (for example, a political campaign might distribute anonymous flyers attacking the other candidate). It is generally considered unethical in open societies, particularly in matters of public policy.
With the political season of 2018 showing signs of life, interesting times are surely on the horizon. Judge Herrington has learned she will run unopposed. Sheriff Antinoro will seek re-election and a Carson City Deputy has announced he will challenge Antinoro to wear the County’s Tin Star. Jay Carmona announced he will challenge Jack McGuffy to represent the Virginia City Highlands on the Storey County Board of Commissioners. We’ve heard Nicole Barde will be announcing her candidacy for the Commissioners seat soon.
A Whisper To A Scream
The reason we started The Teller was to provide a place for the truth to be made available to the public during the divisive effort to recall Sheriff Antinoro. As a community, we were subjected to a remarkable “whisper campaign” waged by Brothel Owner, TRIC Marketing Executive, Real Estate Tycoon, and Lance “The Magnificent” Gilman and his roommate/valet Tris Thompson.
Gilman and his partner Roger Norman dropped $160,000 in their failed effort, mustering just 601 (irony noted) votes. Their campaign more resembled the screaming you would find at a punk rock concert than whispering, until the required financial reports were filed, nobody knew for sure who was behind the anonymous direct mail campaigns.
As we look in the rearview mirror, it becomes clear to those paying attention, the failed Recall Effort represents the pivot point in who controls the County. For 60 or more years, four or five families controlled the way things got done here on “The Richest Place On Earth”. Today, for the moment, that distinction rests in the hands of We The People.
Bedrock Meets Jackhammer
Lance Gilman’s effort to unseat the Sheriff backfired. As he waged his “whisper campaign”, he unwittingly took a jackhammer to the foundation of the Good Ol’ Boy network. The bedrock that has enjoyed a stranglehold on our community since forever is crumbling beneath them and may be mortally fractured.
While the results of the Recall election provide a hopeful first step, only time will tell if the change has grown roots in the rocky soil of the Comstock. The real test will come this June when Republicans Jay Carmona and Jack McGuffey square off in the primary. If Carmona can unseat McGuffey, the writing on the wall can be etched into granite.
They Want Jack.
The Good Ol’ Boy wagons are circling around McGuffey. McGuffey, who ran on the slogan “They Want Me”, turned his lifetime Blue Donkey safety blanket in for a Red Elephant keychain “because my wife told me to”. As a freshly minted Republican, Jack ran against Democrat Nicole Barde and won handily.
The 20-20 lens of hindsight suggests Jack may not have won on the strength of his leadership. Meeting Jack on C Street, you can tell Jack is a super swell guy. Really nice. Wonderful. Yet, if you pay close attention, can see his leadership and decision making skills live a few rungs below Caspar Milquetoast. He is pliable and malleable.
That’s why “They Want Jack”.
Shhhhh….
The Whisper Campaign is a time-honored tradition of the Good Ol’ Boy network. It has worked against the forces who stand up to their power structure. And it will be dusted off and trotted out in the coming months. Bank on it.
It is how the gutless cowards have run folks with the timerity to stand against them out of town on a rail, tar dripping and feathers flying. Soon they will be warming up the vats of tar and plucking ducks for this cycle.
Expect to hear whispers about Jay Carmona, Nicole Barde, Jerry Antinoro, and of course me. I have already heard them about me personally. “Is it true that you…?” has already hit my text feed. And I’m sure the whispering will continue as June rolls around and the smell of desperation wafts up Six Mile.
The winds of change are blowing. Our chance to wrest the reins of the County from the Good Ol’ Boys and the (smaller and smaller) group of people who think they own us is right around the corner.
We The People will determine our future by the people we elect to lead us.
Will we be lead by people who want us to blaze a trail to the future or will we be lead by people clinging to the Way It Was?
Time Will Tell.
Stay Tuned.
¡Hasta la Victoria Siemprè!
