There have been two recent examples of Dr. Dixon’s powers of persuasion. First came the listing of his bland and unsupported non sequiturs in a Trib editorial. These were supposedly elicited in a candid and no holds bared interview. The paper did not offer any analysis of the claims but let them stand on their own.
Dr. Dixon has been at the business of superintending for a lifetime. When in front of a few amateurs he’s at his best fielding questions. Dabblers questioning him are beguiled by his attitude of assurance and appearance of faux candor. Dr. Dixon, like Rush Limbaugh, avoids putting himself in situations where he might face serious interrogators. When he does he brings along his staff to back him up. To the extent that Dr. Dixon is not completely candid it assures that his subordinates become complicit in any factual errors they allow to slip past.
The Budgeteer’s Virgil Swing, a smart skeptic, seems to also have fallen under Dr. Dixon’s powers of persuasion judging by today’s column. Once again Dr. Dixon had the advantage on Virgil .
Some day their will be an accounting. The only question is will it take place after Dr. Dixon has escaped Duluth or will it happen in time for experts, who will be immune to his charm, to put his administration under a microscope.
