When Thomas Jefferson, one of 12 slaveholding U.S. presidents, is quoted, I’m all ears. So, when Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin mentioned Jefferson’s 1809 remark, “The care of human life and happiness and not their destruction is the only legitimate object of good government,” he had my undivided attention.
While Jefferson’s quote is inspirational, unfortunately, it speaks to the unmitigated gall of a known racist whose contradictory rhetoric on humankind, happiness and good government illustrates the immensely flawed character of the nation’s third president.
But I digress.
It’s my first conversation with Irvin since his third-place finish in the Illinois GOP primary for governor. It turns out that despite its glaring contradiction, the Jeffersonian construct about what good government should look like and do for the people is in keeping with what Irvin says he tried to convey during his run for the state’s top job.
There’s a lot to unpack, and the often-disregarded Black community awaits clarification from Aurora’s first Black mayor.
From the jump, a spirited Irvin voiced displeasure with the media’s coverage of his candidacy.
To eliminate confusion that some believe Irvin initiated with conflicting statements and double-speak, Irvin responded to my inquiry regarding whether he supports the Black Lives Matter organization.
Irvin says he tried repeatedly to clarify his position during the campaign, saying, “Of course, I support the lives of Black people, and for anyone to suggest that I don’t…” “It would be against my interest and the interest of my son and daughter if I didn’t support Black lives.”
However, a crucial aspect of the Black Lives Matter question comes from longtime radio talk show host Amy Jacobson who said that Irvin’s about-face regarding BLM came during a campaign fundraiser, according to reports. Jacobson asserts that Irvin said he’d only supported BLM to save Aurora from more looting and destruction, reports state. As reported by Jacobson, Irvin’s comment prompts doubt that a tough-on-crime crusader like Irvin would bow to pressures from a riotous mob.
However, Irvin denies ever supporting BLM, a Black-centered political movement founded in 2013, after the shooting death of Black teenager Trayvon Martin and the killing of several Blacks by police, stressing that he knows little about the organization.
The former GOP front-runner for governor maintains that the media’s focus on ideological questioning hindered his attempt to fashion a straightforward message focusing on kitchen table issues like the economy and reducing crime. Instead, according to Irvin, the press peppered him with questions having little bearing on the immediate concerns of citizens.
During the GOP primary race, unless you were under a rock, it was hard to miss the blitzing of the airwaves with political ads affirming Irvin’s unwavering support for the law enforcement community. Indeed, deducing that a candidate with $50 million to spend couldn’t clarify his position related to BLM could prove difficult.
It’s up to voters to decide if Irvin’s insinuation that pigeonholing by the media hampered his messaging is consistent with contemporaneously recorded details.
It’s too early to know what the lopsided loss could mean to would-be kingmaker billionaire Ken Griffin’s ill-fated slate of candidates. And it’s fair to point out that Irvin isn’t the first gubernatorial candidate whose bid for higher office was unsuccessful. Still, the political arena is abuzz with speculation about the two-time Aurora mayor’s future political prospects.
Aurora Ald. Sherman Jenkins, at large, thinks that despite coming in third place, Irvin could position himself as a moderate and represent an electorate whose views aren’t exactly in keeping with core GOP principles.
“Irvin can be the statesman who can work with both sides of the aisle to get things done…,” said Jenkins.
Perhaps the Aurora alderman is onto something?
Voters may recall that when Irvin announced his candidacy, the GOP’s big tent didn’t exactly welcome him with open arms. Instead, the party’s backhanded treatment of Irvin moved this columnist to write about the candidate’s moderate-leaning views saying, “if the GOP that claims to invite a broad spectrum of views is nothing more than myth, the sooner voters know, the better.”
Juan Thomas, former Aurora Township clerk and past chair of the Aurora Township Democratic Party, has a different perspective: “Before Irvin can become a statesman, he must decide what his core beliefs are, and what are his principles? What does he truly stand for? Irvin squandered an opportunity to transform the Republican Party. He won’t get another chance with Illinois voters unless he can tell us who he is.”
Here’s hoping Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Trump-endorsed Darren Bailey use their resources to successfully communicate their viewpoints and make clear their positions on the crucial issues of the day.
Heading into the home stretch, Pritzker, Bailey and candidates vying for elected office should consider a cautionary quip from the person who reluctantly ended slavery, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, who said, “What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself.”
Anthony Stanford, named the 2014 Outstanding African American of the Year by the Aurora African American Heritage Advisory Board, is an opinion columnist, urban sociologist and author of the book, “Homophobia in the Black Church: How Faith, Politics and Politics and Fear Divide the Black Community.”
