In case you were underground at Carlsbad Caverns and haven't heard, the Marine Corp veteran and two term sheriff took the low road and shocked the audience with allegations of personal misconduct by Keller i.e. having an affair and a domestic violence incident with his wife that Gonzales claimed is being covered up. However, the Manny who would be Mayor could not offer even an iota of evidence.
In fact, another media report has come out that knocks down the domestic violence allegation and another in which Gonzales claims a high ranking City Hall official was driving drunk downtown.
Not long ago in New Mexico folks shot each other over such accusations. In that regard things today are more peaceful but the sewer of social media has made tongues acidic, anger front and center and even seemingly solid citizens like Gonzales descend into the waste.
By not offering any evidence to support his sensational allegations, Gonzales gives weight to the argument that his actions were the result of being in a rage over Keller's successfully arguing that Gonzales' campaign committed forgery and fraud in trying (unsuccessfully) to qualify for public financing.
Let's have the readers go at it, starting with Michel Corwin, a longtime New Mexican who is now a Floridian:
Joe, As someone who spent years chasing down leads to try to turn them into facts so they could be used (therein lies the difference) by political campaigns and interest groups, I’m (almost) speechless at how low Manny Gonzales went. To do so without documentation, and to rely on gossip, instead of an on camera face, from APD folks with an ax to grind over the mayor’s approach to dealing with the agency’s not unsubstantial issues, is even worse than amateur hour. And you would think that with his political consultant, Jay McCleskey, himself having been sued for defamation, would have counseled Gonzales to stick to the facts.
No voter should reward Gonzales for this garbage with a single vote. Kudos to (analyst) Greg Payne, who knows a thing or two about how to run an aggressive campaign. His analysis of what took place, and what it means for the election is spot on. Thanks for continuing to be the go to read on NM politics, even for those of us no longer there.
Corwin mentioned that Gonzales political consultant Jay McCleskey is currently defending himself against a defamation lawsuit. It was filed by a Republican state House candidate.
It is not known if McCleskey advised Gonzales to make the allegations against Keller who called them defamation. But we could find out how those allegations made it before the public because the Keller campaign says it is "pursuing legal options against these defamatory claims."
In the aftermath of the debate at KOB-TV Keller and Gonzales are said to have had a "verbal altercation" as Keller demanded that Gonzales apologize to his wife Gonzales is said to have retorted by saying he has "no respect" for the mayor.
The Gonzales campaign came with this response to Keller's threat of a lawsuit:
We welcome Keller filing a lawsuit and are ready to start taking depositions under oath tomorrow, starting with the mayor’s. The truth is an absolute defense against slander claims and we look forward to proving the truth through the legal discovery process.
But Gonzales has it backwards. He is expected to produce evidence to back up "the truth" of the allegations as he makes them, not after the act and through the "legal discovery process."
Reader Roger writes:
Joe, Regarding The “debate.” I hope no business considering moving to Albuquerque was watching.
Reader Kelley writes:
Wow, just wow. I’m shocked at how inept, unskilled and unqualified Manny is. I thought I had seen how dumb he is in full already. I was wrong. I’ve never seen a politician lay out personal accusations of domestic violence and infidelity so blatantly, with or without origin or foundation. Bad, tacky and low life. by his doing and/or whoever is advising him. What he did manage to do was help Eddy Aragon by taking the ook the focus off his extreme talk. After Gonzales leveled the accusations at Keller the focus was off anything else, equivalent of a sucker punch and Aragon managed to sound reasonable.
FAMILY REACT
Mayor Keller's wife came with this on Facebook:
DEM MACHINE ROUSED
The fraud finding against Gonzales has now prompted the entire Dem political machine to take it on:
BernCo District Attorney Raúl Torrez plans to ask New Mexico State Police to investigate allegations of election-related fraud against Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales’ mayoral campaign, he wrote in a letter last week to Albuquerque’s city attorney.
Torrez will refer the allegations to State Police after the city’s Nov. 2 election “to prevent the timing of an investigation or prosecution from having an effect on an election,” Torrez wrote in an Oct. 13 letter to City Attorney Esteban Aguilar Jr.
“I will scrupulously adhere to this practice and will not take official action or make any public comment on this matter until the results of the upcoming election have been certified,” Torrez wrote.
POLLING UNDERWAY
The TV debate took place on on the first day of polling of the ABQ mayoral race by the ABQ Journal, the results of which will be released Sunday. Several readers report they have already been called in connection with the survey and were asked not only about the mayoral contest but how they feel about their personal safety in the city and other issues. The poll is usually taken the Tuesday through Thursday before the Sunday release. The only public mayoral poll of the campaign so far was taken September 23-24 by PPP and showed Mayor Keller at 47, Manny Gonzales at 21 percent, Eddy Aragon at 11 and undecided at 21 percent.
The key number to watch is 50 percent. That is what Keller needs to avoid a December 7 runoff between the two top vote-getters.
REPLACING CANDELARIA
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| Rep. Maestas |
Meanwhile, Maestas will be keeping a close eye on the redistricting of Senate District 26. With the incumbent retiring, he has made it easier for the mapmakers to draw new lines but we'll have to wait to see if the final map map would make it easier for a Maestas senate bid.
Candelaria has $250,000 in his campaign kitty which is restricted in its use but he can donate to other campaigns and candidates. That will keep the Christmas cards coming his way.
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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2021
(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2021