Some voters in south St. Louis received an anonymous automated phone call today telling them to vote for anyone but Jeff Smith in Tuesday’s state senate election. Many Smith supporters immediately pointed the finger at Derio Gambaro, Smith’s chief competitor for the important southside vote.
“Jeff Smith is a part-time professor of African-American Studies,” says a male voice that sounds kind of like Gambaro’s — but even if he was behind the calls, he probably wouldn’t use his own voice.
“He is also the only candidate running that lacks any legislative or government experience. Jeff Smith is a carpetbagger,” the voice continues. “We need a senator with experience and commitment to our community, not Jeff Smith.”
There is no doubt that even many less partisan voters are thinking Gambaro is to blame, primarily because he and Smith have been going back and forth with negative campaign mailers directed at these same voters. In one memorable piece, Gambaro jokes that Smith’s Confluence Charter School is “even worser then [sic] St. Louis Public Schools.”
Gambaro told PUB DEF this evening that he was aware of the calls and deeply upset about it. “This is why people get turned off to politics,” he said. He flatly denied having anything to do with the calls.
Blogger Larry Handlin recorded the call. Click here to listen.
UPDATE: State Rep. Yaphett El-Amin, another candidate for the 4th District State Senate seat, also denied knowing anything about the call when contacted by phone.
Her campaign has also started attacking Smith, who many see as the frontrunner in this race, on local black radio stations. An El-Amin commercial running on 95.5 FM asks voters if Smith thinks they are stupid for listing a vacant lot as his district address on early campaign documents.
UPDATE 2: Smith is trying to turn the phantom calls into a fundraising tool. In an email to supporters, he calls the calls “a combination of misrepresentations and outright lies” and asks them to contribute to his campaign via his website “then add $1 to show that you are giving in response to this email.”
“I don’t care about the amount,” said Smith. “I just want to show that the community will not tolerate this kind of campaigning.”
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August 5th, 2006 at 12:34 am
Actually, while it was my first instinct, I’m not sure it was Derio. It could have been, but it could have been someone else. The only person it couldn’t have been was Kenny who doesn’t have the money to do it.
Similar text was in Yaphett’s poll and a couple of the charges are similar to Derio’s.
The person talking isn’t Derio for sure–it’s probably a generic voice over type person.
August 5th, 2006 at 1:28 am
This was definitely Yaphett El-Amin and expect more attacks from her between now and Tuesday’s election.
Yaphett will deny this ad like she has denied the push poll.
The Senate race will definitely get dirty from here on out!
August 5th, 2006 at 6:03 am
This was not Derio! I have known Derio for many years and have worked hard on his campaign for Senate. The voice is not his.
August 5th, 2006 at 9:02 am
People please. Does it really matter if it was Derio’s voice or not? These constant last minute desperate attacks by both Derio and Yaphett are indicative that their campaigns have sputtered, never had any substance on issues, policy, or bringing people together. Both are getting their, to quote Congressman Carnahan, “asses” handed to them on the campaign trail. These next days leading up to the primary election will definitely be characterized by these shameless third party attacks on Jeff by Derio and Yaphett. Voters clearly know the reality behind these shenanigans and won’t tolerate it. Jeff will be the next 4th District Senator. Vote Jeff Smith on Tuesday, Aug. 8th!!!!!!!!!!!1
August 5th, 2006 at 10:58 am
Ask yourself who has the most to gain and lose from this? One thing that people seem to be forgetting in all of this is that for all of these calls and literature the opponets name is always mentioned and mentioned at least more than once- name recognition can go a long way even if it is negative.
That being said, I bet we will all be getting another call like it.
August 5th, 2006 at 11:20 am
Did anyone figure out who did the attack piece on Carnahan during 3rd congressional race?
August 5th, 2006 at 11:32 am
The fact that the recording starts out positive is supporting evidence for it not to have been put together by another candidate. Many people hang up after the first sentence or two. No competitor would do that.
August 5th, 2006 at 12:26 pm
Anony, that first statement won’t play so “positive” in many parts of South City.
August 5th, 2006 at 12:48 pm
===Did anyone figure out who did the attack piece on Carnahan during 3rd congressional race?
I’m assuming you are the same person who keeps asking this and never responds once I give the story, but for one more time—-
The FEC didn’t investigate the mailer for 18 months and once they did, most of the evidence was long gone. Given the names I was given to identify by them were not affiliated with any campaign nor likely real, it’s doubtful anyone will figure out who did it unless the clown who did the web site ever talks. Dave Drebes and I tracked down what we could, but the FEC didn’t seem to be getting any closer than we did.
The primary part of the complaint that is still be ‘investigated’ is whether the Smith and Barry campaigns illegally coordinated–it’s a very weak case and isn’t going anywhere.
August 5th, 2006 at 12:49 pm
===Anony, that first statement won’t play so “positive” in many parts of South City.
And I don’t think there are any reports north of Delmar of the call going out. I’m not sure it is as effective as whomever thinks it is, but it’s pretty clearly meant to be negative.
August 5th, 2006 at 5:27 pm
While the calls themselves may be dastardly politics, the fact that the other candidates are engaging in these types of push polls and scare tactics calls evidences their fear the Jeff Smith is going to win on Tuesday. Jeff Smith and his team just need to keep focused, stay on their positive and progressive message, and bring in the votes that are already theirs.
August 5th, 2006 at 7:19 pm
More re: “The fact that the recording starts out positive . . . “
The call to me was placed at dinnertime - 6:00 sharp. It’s first words were “Jeff Smith.” It went on with a biographical fact (albeit mistaken) that Smith is a professor of African American Studies. This is a very clever dirty tactic designed to:
1. Make callers who are angry and hang up as soon they know its a political robocall think that it’s a call for Jeff Smith, and therefore make them angry at Jeff Smith.
2. Make those who listen to the whole first sentence think (correctly) that Smith is very into African American interests and proud of that. Antonio correctly points out that, in the area where the calls were placed, that isn’t necessarily regarded as positive. It is clear from the context of the rest of the call that the sponsor of the call regards it as negative.
3. Let those interested enough to hear more of the call hear all of the unequivocally negative stuff.
The sponsors know that they’re playing dirty pool, because they don’t identify themselves (or rather identify themselves as sneaky, slimy, scum of the earth). It’s the kind of thing that turns voters off and causes them not to vote.
So, if the call’s real aim is to cause voters in the area where the calls were placed (the predominately white south side) to get disgusted and not vote, who would benefit? Hmmmm.
August 6th, 2006 at 11:14 am
Maybe Nia knows.
August 6th, 2006 at 1:38 pm
A bit off topic: I live in Dutchtown and received a call from Charlie Dooley; I haven’t lived in the county since August of 1992. Not particularly important, but it made me chuckle.