The Benjamin PR strategy, Jimmy Metts and Danny Frazier
Smoke is billowing from city hall. The public has almost NO confidence in the elected.
Smoke is billowing from city hall. The public has almost NO confidence in the elected.
But media sources, characteristically friendly to Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin, are telling him not to be distracted by the sleaze connections to him and things he cannot control.
It's good news to the establishment media that Benjamin is going about his business as if his name has not been tied to frolicking with felines, a $50,000 pay-out and deceitfulness.
The most recent accusation, coming from testimony in a federal trial Wednesday, said Benjamin had influence for an allegedly kick-back driven schemer-for-profit.
While Rome burns, Benjamin's office distributed a newsletter that waxed on about Benjamin's trip to a DC medal of honor ceremony, and a junket to Dallas for the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
One public relations expert said by ignoring: “that is just Steve being Steve and moving forward and not being distracted — that’s a positive on either count.”
The newspaper also found more PR masters who say the mayor is using good strategy and doing the right thing. Being busy, carrying out his responsibilities, is ingenious they tell us.
While Benjamin's name is on fire, its mentioned every day in the trial, the media's PR execs say Benjamin is smart to emulate Nero.
But is the Pinson trial, in which Benjamin is starring, tantamount to the infamous Danny Frazier tapes?
Just like the federal trial, the Frazier tapes were filled with details and claims of influence.
And those declarations by Frazier presumably set off an investigation that resulted in the indictment of fellow Bigfish, Sheriff James Metts.
Is the “Whistling past the Graveyard” approach to public relations effective?
In the wake of the Frazier conversations, not much was said, officially. And eventually, so much time passed that many had lost interest, or figured the investigation had produced no fruit.
Others surmised the powerful would not face any charges, because they have all the clout. That's just the way it is, just or not, with the untouchable class.
Metts' office- after issuing his own version of a newsletter in the form a couple of TV interviews- went on as if nothing happened. Just as the media is telling Benjamin to do.
We're told ignoring the gigantic elephant in the room is brilliant, by those who know. But PR, in this case, will not be the final arbiter. If there is a crime, prosecutors will have to find it and act on it. And there has been enough testimony to set off an investigation.
If there is fire, fiddling may be a PR strategy, but it will not deflect a federal indictment. Just ask Jimmy Metts.
Can't believe they quoted Don Fowler, he of the DNC super-delegate fame that stole the nomination from Hillary and handed it on a silver platter to the unqualified Obama,--I hold him and his stupid wife responsible for maneuvering the marxist traitor Obama into the White House, and now here we are years later with the country in collapse. No fan of Hillary, but at least she earned the party's nomination and we know where she was born. I'm surprised he doesn't leave an oily stain every time he sits down. Lower then vermin.
ReplyDeleteT-Bone's PR strategy of pretending none of this is happening to him is the sign of a desperate man, surely he knows that whatever relationship he had with this city has been destroyed, he will NEVER regain any trust whatsoever with the citizens. Sadly, the precincts that elected him will continue to do so, after all, they laughed when he was caught with hookers--sorry, exotic dancers, bwahaha-- just like SC State blind supporters are running around like headless chickens trying to beg for more money, and blaming the state legislature for not funding them 100%, so crooks looting their school can steal 100% of their money, rather than blaming the criminals themselves. Flimsy transparently desperate PR might make him feel better for today, but as Dostoyevsky pointed out for the ages, fear of imminent arrest is worse to endure then even fear of imminent death. Benji is now Columbia's Raskolnikov, waiting for the clock to run out, waiting for a process server to approach, waiting for that phone call or letter that will bring his house of cards crashing down. Meanwhile, he is busy busy busy pushing through the Bull Street bull shite, turning city taxpayers into serfs, while we slug down tap water that the EPA is billing us $750 million for, the roads slowly collapse into the sewers, and retiree health funds are diverted to yet another real estate deal with that rotten Compress building. One Columbia? That was one of his PR strokes of brilliance too, huh? One Columbia--in perpetual tax enslavement for his vanity projects, while he ignores core functions and any ethical responsibilities. Nero, indeed, more like Caligula.
Bravo Brigid. So much info. you presented, compacted. You introduced so many themes. I wonder f there will be time in Benjamin's tenure to address them all.
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