A small-but-insidious example of Puppetshow propaganda

In the middle of a perfectly predictable warning that North Carolina communities should avoid the evils of planning ahead, Stagemanager John Hood today sneaks a little pro-Puppetshow propaganda into his otherwise forgettable column.

For the most part, city and even school-board elections this year won’t be decisive (though spirited mayoral contests in Cary, Wilmington, and Durham will be worth watching). Instead, much of the political energy and resources will go into high-stakes public referenda in communities across the state.

Why, you may ask, does Mr. Hood seemingly go out of his way to include Durham among the spirited mayoral contests worth watching? Well there's one simple reason: Thomas Stith, once and future mouthpiece for the Puppetshow, is a candidate! Never mind that he has hardly a snowball's chance in hell of beating the incumbent mayor, to my knowledge. All that matters is that Stith knows the secret handshake that gives him access to backing from Art Pope's multi-million dollar opinion manufacturing machine.

For the record, Stith is promising to run a "very thorough and comprehensive campaign that would depart from the city's norm." And depart it will, with a level of creepiness that only a Puppet could appreciate, leaving Durham once again to pick up all the pieces.