Getting ink is never easy for underdog politicians. That's why
candidate Tom Landis says he launched his campaign for Dallas mayor in
Fort Worth.
Huh?
Landis says it's not that he felt intimated by opponent Tom Dunning,
represented by mayor-making consultant Carol Reed. Landis says he just
felt that announcing his candidacy 30 miles west of Dallas city hall
would get more attention. He also said he wanted to stress the
importance of harmony between the rival cities.
Or maybe Landis just likes Cow Town better. "Dallas is not always a
neighborly city," the mayoral hopeful told the Dallas Morning News.
(We can see the motto on the sign by the side of the highway now:
"Dallas: not always a neighborly city." -Ed.)
Finally, in a spin-doctor-heal-thyself bit of irony, Landis, who studied
PR and worked in marketing before going into the restaurant business
five years ago, is handling his own media relations. So far, he's touted
the English classes he started for Hispanic restaurant workers and his
status as a graduate student at Dallas Theological Seminary - never a
bad political move in a city known as the Bible Belt's buckle.
Landis' other unconventional tactics include limiting campaign
contributions to $25 and giving donors "I want to be mayor"
T-shirts like the one he wore at his campaign launch. He also talked to
reporters throughout the day instead of making them wait for the press
conference at his Texadelphia franchise in Fort Worth. "An official
announcement is a silly thing anyway," he said.
They say you can't fight city hall, but we think Landis sure is doing a
heck of a job shadowboxing with it.
