The differences between [challenger Thomas] Stith's public persona and private political maneuverings point to a curious duality: When he speaks on the council, he sounds like he's offering a reasonable, measured parsing of the issues; yet his campaign strategies are risky, even offensive, attacks torn from the dirty-politics playbook. In addition to the push polls, a campaign mailer showcases photos of [incumbent Mayor Bill] Bell's contorted face, and automated "robo-calls" claimed Durham intentionally harbors undocumented immigrants .... Stith is evasive when questioned about these tactics, his own spotty record on council, and $108,000 in campaign contributions, primarily from wealthy business owners....
But make no mistake: Stith is conservative and so are his issues. And he is seen as part of a Republican effort to upend Democratic leadership....
We hear that! The nastiness of the Boone Town Council elections are as much about attempting a local Republican resurgence in 2008 as it is about how supposedly immoral steep-slope regulations are.
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