White Guy Wins Election After Making Voters Think He’s Black

Here’s a candidate who turned identity politics on its head while managing to break every politically correct rule about politics in the process.

KHOU:

Dave Wilson chuckles as he talks about his unorthodox political campaign.
“I’d always said it was a long shot,” Wilson says. “No, I didn’t expect to win.”
Still, he figured he’d have fun running, because he was fed up with what he called “all the shenanigans” at the Houston Community College System. As a conservative white Republican running in a district whose voters are overwhelmingly black Democrats, the odds seemed overwhelmingly against him.
Then he came up with an idea, an advertising strategy that his opponent found “disgusting.” If a white guy didn’t have a chance in a mostly African-American district, Wilson would lead voters to think he’s black.
And it apparently worked. In one of the biggest political upsets in Houston politics this election season, Wilson — an anti-gay activist and former fringe candidate for mayor — emerged as the surprise winner over 24-year incumbent Bruce Austin. His razor thin margin of victory, only 26 votes, was almost certainly influenced by his racially tinged campaign.
“Every time a politician talks, he’s out there deceiving voters,” he says.
Wilson, a gleeful political troublemaker, printed direct mail pieces strongly implying that he’s black. His fliers were decorated with photographs of smiling African-American faces — which he readily admits he just lifted off websites — and captioned with the words “Please vote for our friend and neighbor Dave Wilson.”
One of his mailers said he was “Endorsed by Ron Wilson,” which longtime Houston voters might easily interpret as a statement of support from a former state representative of the same name who’s also African-American. Fine print beneath the headline says “Ron Wilson and Dave Wilson are cousins,” a reference to one of Wilson’s relatives living in Iowa.
“He’s a nice cousin,” Wilson says, suppressing a laugh. “We played baseball in high school together. And he’s endorsed me.”
Austin tried to answer the mailer with his own fliers showing Wilson’s face, calling him a “right-wing hate monger” and saying he “advocated bringing back chain gangs to clean highways.” But the campaign clearly caught him off guard.
“I don’t think it’s good,” he said. “I don’t think it’s good for both democracy and the whole concept of fair play. But that was not his intent, apparently.”

Fair play? From a guy who accused his opponent of wanting to “bring back chain gangs to clean highways.”

Heh.

This is how he presented himself ( and he has a picture from his website: http://davewilsonformayor.com/WhoIsDave.htm )

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Dave Wilson is The Best Candidate for Mayor

The City of Houston is on the brink of bankruptcy. I was in a very similar situation back in the 1980’s. I was looking to expand my business. I over-extended myself by taking on too much debt. I bought the latest trucks, equipment, and tools to grow my business. I hired too many employees. I paid them too much, and gave them lucrative benefits that I could not sustain. I had too many middle managers, and not enough workers.

As you know, the economy took a nose dive in the mid 80’s. My revenue dropped. A couple of my customers went bankrupt and left me holding the bag. One of my employees had a fatal accident and my workers comp insurance skyrocketed.

I was in a position where I could not meet my obligations. The same position the City of Houston is in today. I owed the IRS, the bank, and many suppliers. I considered filing for bankruptcy, but I chose not to. I decided that I would tough it out.

Instead of filing for bankruptcy, I sold my homestead and moved into an apartment. I paid off the IRS liens with the proceeds from the sale of my house. I sacrificed to pay off the bank and the suppliers. The most difficult thing I had to do was to lay off employees and cut the salaries of those who stayed.

The City of Houston is in the same shape that I was back then. We are facing some of the most difficult challenges in recent memory. The current economic downturn, increased expenses, and a pension plan that is unsustainable require a hard look at the city’s operating costs, equipment, personnel and other expenses. The present mayor, as the city controller and as a member of city council, has had 14 years to address the city’s economic crisis, and she hasn’t done it, and it’s gotten worse.

Our economic reality demands that we take action. I know that we can work our way out of this mess. There are no easy answers. We all have to make sacrifices, and sacrifices start at the top. For starters, as your mayor, I will cut the mayor’s salary in half; cut the mayor’s staff in half and cut city council’s staff in half. We cannot expect others down the line to sacrifice, if we are not willing to make sacrifices ourselves. We must address city expenses, lobbyists, those who have contracts simply because they make political contributions, use of city vehicles and many other expenses. All of these costs reductions must be explored first before laying-off any city employees.

We need a Mayor with principles and sound business judgment. By participating together in the decision-making process, we can change our future. Our city needs a Mayor we can believe in, and trust. I AM THAT PERSON. I have experienced the tough times. I know how to meet the challenges ahead. And together, we can work to repair the city’s financial crisis in order to build a better future for our children.

Thank you for your support, and consideration.

Sincerely,

Dave Wilson

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