OPINION — “Political gaslighting” describes an election strategy designed to cause voters to question their perception of reality through the creation of false narratives.
A recent letter by Shelby Blecker claims Councilmember Brenda Kalivianakis voting against Resolution 2026-02 – which included a provision that would reinstate the call to the public – demonstrates she does not want to hear from her constituents. These claims read to me as a textbook example of political gaslighting.
The record indelibly establishes that Councilwomen Kalivianakis and Peggy McMahon were the only members of the town council who strenuously opposed and voted against the original permanent elimination of the call to the public. The councilwomen were surely aware that following the unprecedented backlash to the permanent elimination of the CTP, the majority’s only recourse was to reinstate it.
