Tom Leppert's Gettin' Down in the Southern Sector

By Robert Wilonsky Wed., Apr. 11 2007 at 9:13 AM

Categories: Politics

Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III has put his church's muscle behind Tom Leppert in a radio spot that busts, by our count, two and a half moves.

So, we know the mayoral candidates are no good at making TV and Interwebs spots -- well, except for Tom Leppert. (And, I guess, Gary Griffith, who said "cheese" a little while back and now looks like Paula Lambert.) But how good are their radio spots? Beats me. See, we did cruise by all the candidates' Web sites this morning, and found only one radio ad -- on Tom Leppert's site, no surprise there. And it's a startlingly funky spot too -- no surprise there either, given Leppert's penchant for busting out the Robot when he gets nervous during mayoral candidate forums.

I see here that the 60-second spot, which cost about $50 thou to make and get on the air, is playing to listeners of such urban contemporary and gospel stations as KKDA-AM (730) and KKDA-FM (104.5), KHVN-AM (970), KGGR-AM (1040), and KRNB-FM (105.7). And it stars none other than Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III, the senior pastor at Friendship-West Baptist Church on Wheatland Road, who really oughta be a disc jockey in his spare time, as he smooth-talks over the O'Jays singing the great "Give the People What They Want." (I do love the Morning News' generic reference to "R&B music playing in the background.") "Tom Leppert has a vision for creating a community of opportunity," he says, amongst his myriad rhymes. I know Matt Pulle wrote on Friday that "there's nothing inspiring about [Leppert's] campaign." Maybe not, but now I can dance to it. And, hey, at least Leppert's people had the good sense not to use my favorite O'Jays song: "For the Love of Money." And "Let Me Make Love to You" would have just been wrong. --Robert Wilonsky

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