(Not) asked and answered: Tony Williams on narratives and stereotyped candidates

In the waning days of the mayoral-primary season, NinetyNine reached out to the six Democratic candidates to pose a question about, well, questions.

Specificially, we wanted to hear their response to this query: What question hasn’t been asked of a competitor(s), or of yourself, that you wish had been? (And if it’s the latter, please provide a response).

Next up is Anthony Hardy Williams, who revisited an oft-cited lamentation about candidates being boxed in to central-casting roles by an imposed narrative.

“It has less to do with a single question and more to do with lines of questioning that have stereotyped the candidates. The line of questioning has seemingly followed a script that created a narrative surrounding each candidate.

“So, the Daily News endorsed [Jim] Kenney [on Monday] and when I asked about it, I was told it was about differing positions on schools.

“Well, if it’s about charters, they shouldn’t have endorsed him either. He has ties to two schools; I only started one. He was talking about [Earned Income Tax Credit] dollars for Neumann Goretti [High School].

“Things like that make me believe it’s a narrative issue rather than facts that would generally [contradict] it.

“Take this forum [on Monday night for the East Falls Community Council]. The first thing I get asked about is charter schools, and it’s like that everywhere I go, but Jim doesn’t get that because it seems that the narrative that’s been established is what’s being heard [by voters].”

Candidates’ “(Not) asked and answered” responses will run over the course of the last week of the primary campaign season. Coming up on Thursday: Jim Kenney answers a question from Nelson Diaz.

Previously

Lynne Abraham on women, children and the elderly