J David Moeller Announces For Mayor of Dallas
Please Click Images for Full View
J David "Good Dave" Moeller runs on Cleanest City Platform
J David Moeller and other candidates in accord.
J David Moeller, Candidate for Dallas Mayor, gets a hair-length retouching job from the Dallas Times Herald.
( Click for full view)"Moeller...one of the best speakers..."
J David Moeller appointed to Mayoral Advisory Council
J David Moeller appears on WFAA-TV
Election Morning to finalize his pitch for Mayor.
J David Moeller presents winner Wes Wise
With the Dallas Press Club's
"David and Goliath" award
for defeating the "machine".
A bit of the story:
In 1970, while listening to a newscast on KLIF radio, I heard a comment by Wes Wise, a former TV sportscaster on WFAA-TV, admonishing another candidate wh0'd dropped out of the race after only being a candidate for a few days: "If you're going to run, then run! Make up your mind!" or words to that effect.
I decided to run! I had no idea how to do it. The first call I made was to Ron Jenkins, the newscaster and a friend, to ask him how I could go about the process. He told me to call the City Secretary's office.
"Get 300 signatures on a petition requesting your name be included on the ballot, pay the required fee and you're set", I was told. I was also advised to get double the signatures needed to allow for the invariable inelligibles (not registered voters).
About a week before the deadline I was called by the Secretary's office and informed I needed a few more signatures (I'd turned in about 750 if memory serves). I hung out downtown, clipboard with the petition in hand and gathered enough to place me on the ballot.
I got the name "Good Dave" the year before. The Dallas Times Herald, now out of publication, gave me the tag when I organized the "Giant Thanksgiving SuperFeast". It turned out to be an interesting slate of candidates: Avery Mays -the Citizens Charter Assn.'s candidate, Wes Wise, Joe Bock -an Accountant whose son and I had been high school classmates, Al Lipsomb -the first black candidate for Mayor, David Wade -A TV Gourmet and Herb Green -an attorney.
The candidates were all invited to speak at quite a few luncheons, meetings, gatherings in homes, and other venues and events. We were always cordial with one another; never any animosity or harsh words or bickering.
Once, the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce invited the full Mayoral Slate to their luncheon at the North Park Inn. A cordial, but terse, letter invited us but stating quite matter of factly that only the two front runners, Avery Mays and Wes Wise would be allowed to speak...but the rest of us were welcome to sit on the dias and enjoy the luncheon with them.
I decided I'd have my say even though I'd be silenced. I had a sign made up, hung it around my neck, tied a bandana over my mouth and strode into the meeting at the last minute before the meal was served. I took my seat at the end of the head table and sat still and quiet until my plate was placed before me. Still wearing the sign around my neck, I removed the gag from my mouth and dove in to a fairly delicious -and free!- meal. If anything, I'm a firm believer in never passing up a free meal.
My sign?
That night the all the news shows (WFAA, KRLD, WBAP) were filled with not only images of my "humble" self, but I was the only candidate given an interview/sound bite! I was the only one who got to get my pitch out to far more than the attendance at the lucheon: the entire Dallas/Ft.Worth TV viewing audience.
I ended up spending a total of $127 on my campaign, mostly of my own money. Occasionally someone on the street would recognize me and hand me a five or a ten. Once I had a tank of gas paid for by a service station owner (those were the days when one could still receive "service" at their gas station!.
I came in 6th of the 7 candidates, beating Herb Green. I didn't expect to win. Naturally, I secretly hoped for it.
Dallas is a City Manager form of Government. The Mayor's position is mostly titular only. The business of the city, the letting of contracts and such, is handled by the City Manager. The Mayor runs the council meetings, kisses babies, opens shopping centers and generally fronts for the town...a public relations position, to over simplify it.
I would have been proud to have served. And I'm satisfied my story got out at a time when young people -hippies if you will- were not held in the highest regard.
Yes, I was called "the Hippie Candidate" although I had made a great to do about having my hair cut...featured on WFAA-TV with the Cowsills singing "Hair" as the sound track: "Gimme a head with hair...long beautiful hair...".
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