Jackson Free Press

It's really amusing to watch The Clarion-Ledger squirm over their annointed choice for mayor. Today, they start their hand-wringing editorial about Frank Melton with this:

Jackson Mayor Frank Melton was considered a successful CEO of a Jackson television station and an outstanding communicator. Those attributes led voters to think he would be good at managing a city as mayor.

Events in recent days have voters wondering once again: What happened to the Melton we thought we knew?

Po witta Ledge. OK, edit-boyz, let's go to the videotape (and the archives) and ask: Why did you think Melton was a "successful CEO" and "an outstanding communicator"? Was it because you didn't pay attention, or do good reporting? As for the passive in your lead sentence there, who exactly is the subject when you say "was considered"? I know we hear from plenty of folks who say he was a figurehead with his own agenda, leaving other folks to actually run the TV station.

But the biggie is: "an outstanding communicator." Where did this idea come from?

We've watched plenty of old footage of his Bottom Lines. He was certainly not an "outstanding communicator" there. Those things were filled with rhetoric, and unsubstantiated allegations, and outright personal attacks on people he clearly considered his political enemies. It was a constant discredit and smear campaign—just like we're seeing him do now against anyone he thinks is in a position to keep him from doing exactly what he wants to do, even if that means break the law.

Then the Ledge edit-boyz have the gall to close the editorial with this little goofiness:

Meanwhile, voters are beginning to say, "Frank, we never knew ya."

Folks, your own archives and TV video show that this is the *exact* same man he's always been. The question y'all ought to be asking yourselves is: "Why were we so easily fooled?" And the answer has a whole lot to do with shoddy journalism and the embarassing ability to be snookered by someone spouting nonsensical platutides about running "the thugs" out of Jackson and "help is on the way!"

You got *exactly* who you endorsed, and it is no one's fault by yours that y'all were too blind to see it at the time. Jackson is still for the apology that your newspapers owes the city for not telling the real story about Frank Melton a long time ago—which. was. your. job. As for now, stop your whining and take responsibility. That would make all the egg dripping off your faces look less ridiculous at this juncture.

Read full editorial here.

Previous Comments

ID

109232

Comment

I think what the C-L means was that Melton was charismatic and full of gravitas, which does not necessarily mean that he was a great communicator or great CEO. I mean, not to overuse an analogy (and I'm not comparing Melton to Hitler in any other way), but the WWII-era chancellor of Germany had plenty of charisma and gravitas, too. That is not necessarily indicative of good communication or good management skills. Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2006-12-08T19:44:35-06:00

ID

109233

Comment

And by the way, I say this as someone who also fell completely head over heels in love with "The Bottom Line," possibly because I was too young at the time to know better. I'm still pretty gullible, and I was even more gullible back then. Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2006-12-08T19:45:49-06:00

ID

109234

Comment

It is like they can't even read their own paper achives from when Melton arrived till now.

Author

pikersam

Date

2006-12-08T20:54:03-06:00